Social Movements and Digital Conflicts

When needs are institutionalized over a period of long time facing generations of trials institutions gain the status of an assembly line of normative satisfaction. When solutions are ignored or lost by the institutions be they political, economic or other kinds thus leaving the social conflicts unresolved, social movements ensue.India has witnessed many social movements against corruption in public life (for ombudsman, bring back black money from foreign), rape and murder (Nirbhaya tragedy), ideological battle in campus, and eve teasing (security of female students) to cite major ones. The majority of participants belonged to students and youth of urban middle classes attracting media attention, debates on electronic media, and culminating in candle marches, processions, sit ins (Dharna ),demonstrations. But how did this happen so successfully?

however, belonged to students and youth of urban middle classes attracting great media attention, debates on electronic media, and culminating in candle marches, processions, sit ins (Dharna ), demonstrations. But how did this happen so successfully?

The paper attempts to chronicle the series of events that happened in leading social movements and takes samples of posts and responses on popular mode of social media in India. The data are from media reports and social networking sites. The paper concludes that in most emotional tragedy of Nirbhaya case people on social media and on site launched cohesive collective action forcing the political institutions of the then government to respond quickly and of course they raised their voice in chorus against the corruption but in campus circumstances, social movement was encountered by parallel group formation on the basis of political ideology as also on pro and anti establishment stance. The most expressive was digital conflicts between warring groups. Social media became the main battle ground where abuses were hurled and falsification became the order of the day.