Harsh Gujral lewd Russian joke: Wannabe viral content creators threaten to damage India's global reputation

During recent years, an alarming pattern by social media influencers has taken root: comedies and funny sketches are taking greater liberties beyond boundaries of decency and ethics. Such comedians, under the masquerade of viral hits, have become busy harassing foreigners, including Russians, who go about places of public amenities around India. In addition to lowering India’s standards, the possibility of damaging the friendship established between Russia and India—a major alliance—cannot be understated.

These actions go beyond the issue of individual discomfort. Russia has been an age-old ally to India, and there exists a rich cultural, economic, and political bonding between them. Harassment of Russian nationals can spark diplomatic tensions, which can be detrimental to tourism, trade, and bilateral relations. More importantly, these elements are diametrically opposite to the Indian ethos of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava,’ (The Guest is akin to god) which speaks of instilling a deep respect for guests.

Sachin Kumar a content creator, also known as “Sachin Raj Viral.” His content has recently gone quite viral on the likes of Instagram and Facebook. Videos came to light in October 2024, which show Sachin making intrusively intrusive pranks at such historic locations as New Delhi’s India Gate. There, he picked on some foreign tourists including Russians who he goaded to dance on the road for videos to put up on his pages on social media.

When those tourists made signs of wanting to get away due to evident unease, Sachin didn’t listen, pushing himself onto them intruding their personal space against their wishes.

Recently another popular YouTuber Mithilesh Backpacker shared a troubling experience that involved his Russian wife, Lisa, during their visit to a city in Rajasthan with their two-year-old son. While filming with Lisa, they were approached by a man nearby who made inappropriate and derogatory remarks. The video captured an off-camera voice saying “6,000 INR,” a phrase often used in sexually suggestive jokes by some comedians, which was especially offensive in the context of his wife’s Russian background. Distressed by the comment, Mithilesh immediately stopped filming and confronted the person responsible.

He expressed his disapproval of the behavior, highlighting the need for respect and decency in public spaces. This incident shed light on the challenges faced by tourists, particularly women, in certain situations. Mithilesh’s reaction underscored his commitment to standing up against such unacceptable behavior.

This incident, among many others, has created an outburst on social media. The netizens are angry and demand prompt action against the people who make fun of the foreign visitors with a pretext of comedy. Many people have questioned that this type of act will damage India’s good reputation as a warm and friendly nation, and people are demanding authorities to take proper action so that such behavior does not go unchecked.

This sets off consequences that are beyond mere individual discomfort. Russia has long been one of India’s closest allies, culturally, economically, and politically well-entrenched. Harassing Russian tourists in any way—whether through genuine or otherwise intended mischief—can quickly escalate into ever-mounting mistrust, resentment, and an all-round breakdown in the goodwill cultivated over years.

The sensational content creators who prefer virality over ethics have been the primary culprits of this trend. Trends have shifted in the battle for online fame; metrics such as likes, shares, and numbers of followers are some of the prominent yardsticks to measure success. They often displace considerations of decency and respect. The pursuit of recognition online has normalized harassment, now taken lightly by a legion of online perpetrators and their unsuspecting audiences. What may seem like harmless fun for them can actually have long-term effects on both personal and national relations.

Such an alarming situation requires not only enforcement but also education through a multi-level approach.

Enforcement of Regulations: Laws that protect an individual from harassment should be strengthened, along with the stringent implementation thereof. No citizen, under the guise of their nationality, foreign or otherwise, should be allowed to harass foreigners, and proper consequences must follow for the same, thus deterring others in the process.

Platform Accountability: Social media platforms are also responsible. They should enhance their policies of content moderation to be more severe and should not allow spam or abusive content on the feeds. The content violating the community guidelines must be taken down immediately and a strong message should be sent that harassment is not acceptable in this hour of technology.

Public Awareness: There is a high probability that an awareness campaign towards the public could really go a long way in driving home the message of respect of personal boundaries in real life and the virtual space. Such awareness campaigns can educate content creators and the people in general about the long-term implications of unethical content creation, further showing how this can harm the individual and further strain international relations.

Content Creator Responsibility: Influencers and content creators should be responsible enough to understand that they are bringing damage to people’s lives. Though the aspiration to go viral is understandable, human dignity must not be the cost of achieving that. Creators have to work in accordance with ethics, as fame and engagement may not allow infringement on someone else’s rights or well-being.

Responsible content creators should be fully aware of greater implications of their actions on social harmony and diplomacy. By creating a respect and accountability-based culture, India can sustain the reputation as an open nation that maintains both the rich tradition of hospitality and relationships with nations such as Russia at the global level.