Murthy, a student of Delhi University, was in for a surprise today when his friends and classmates avoided him all morning, refusing to speak with him or even be seen with him. The reason? He didn’t change his DP after the heinous terror attack in Paris.
“How can he be so insensitive, yaa?” demanded his outraged classmate Shivangi. “Over 120 people have died, yaa! As a fellow human being isn’t it our duty to show solidarity with the victims? A dead person’s relative might be checking Twitter as we speak. How would he or she feel when she finds people still have their own faces as their DPs?”
Rahul, another of Murthy’s classmates, agreed. “Changing our DP is also important to prevent future terror attacks,” he added with a solemn expression.
Murthy, however, cannot understand what the fuss is about. “It was strange. They just stared at me like I’d molested someone, and quickly moved away,” he said, baffled.
“I just don’t see how changing my DP can prevent future terror attacks or bring relief to all those who have lost family and friends to such incidents. I tried it for 26/11 and a few other incidents – as an Indian you get plenty of opportunities, you see – but it all feels very jaded now,” he added.
While all of his friends have panned him for his insensitivity, Murthy received unexpected support from the candle making industry.
“This is the height of laziness. A major terrorist attack has happened and all you want to do is change your DP with one click? Come on! Get off your ass. Go out there. Light a candle!” exclaimed Bejaan Mombattiwala, a down on his luck candle-maker.
Murthy, who doesn’t plan to light a candle either, added: “Also, I don’t understand this selective solidarity. Only a couple of days ago, over 40 people died in attacks in Beirut. Heavy rains killed 55 people in Tamil Nadu this week. People die every day in unnatural ways. Why aren’t people changing DPs to show solidarity with all these tragedies?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” chided Shivangi. “If I were to change my DP for every tragedy, that is all I would be doing. That would be so… fake!” she said, and went back to Whatsapping on her phone.