Biting memes worry leading politicos

CHENNAI: Ahead of the 2016 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, a no-holds barred political slugfest is raging in cyberspace. Memes that ridicule and criticize political leaders are being created virtually every day, and within hours of any awkward or controversial incident involving leaders being reported.
Earlier, politicians ignored the chatter in social media.Not so anymore. Gautham G, one of the members behind the Chennai Memes Facebook page that creates memes that reflect the spirit of Chennai, says his team is being cautious after receiving threatening calls after posting memes about a political leader and a prominent city educationist.
In the past, lampooning was restricted to posters, speeches and cartoons in newspapers and magazines. Today, using apps and basic design software, these memes are created in a few minutes by web users, party loyalists and, in some cases, the in-house tech teams of parties.
It may be common for leaders to disparage their rivals during speeches. Cartoons mocking leaders and their policies have been popular in the state. Many of the political memes circulating in social media may be humorous but are often too offensive to pass muster in mainstream media. This 'war' in cyberspace is only likely to get ugly in the coming months.
Many political memes go viral within hours, with hundreds of users sharing the images and videos on the mobile phones and other devices. DMDK has already hit back by filing a police complaint against memes about party chief Vijayakanth. Some of the most popular memes this year were generated around the time of Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's court case verdict and, more recently, during DMK treasurer M K Stalin's 'Namakku Namey' statewide tour.
PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, who has been caricatured in some recent memes, says that the attacks “should not be personal. Memes can mimic policy or failed promises but they must avoid personal attacks. I have personally been affected by it. Some of the memes that are circulating now are quite offensive. I tell my party members also not to create or circulate content that hurts others feelings,” he said.
With lakhs of first-time voters in the state, social media is becoming an important part of electioneering. “Youngsters do not know the past history of parties. The memes they see will remain fresh in their minds,” he added.