New Delhi: Ola’s founder-CEO Bhavish Aggarwal sparked controversy after LinkedIn removed his post in which he implied that the gender-neutral pronoun "they/them" is an ailment. Bhavish blatantly claimed that Microsoft-backed AI chatbots are "imposing a political ideology" on Indian users, which he deemed "unsafe and sinister."
Bhavish had posted this on social media platform X: "Most of us in India have no clue about the politics of this pronoun illness. People do it because it’s become expected in our corporate culture, especially in MNCs. It's better to send this illness back where it came from. Our culture has always had respect for all. There's no need for new pronouns."
He has launched fusillades against Western culture, claiming that gender-neutral pronouns are a political entitlement that doesn't belong to India. As a prominent figure with a substantial following on Twitter, he has recently propagated misinformation about gender minorities in India, aligning himself with Western conservative narratives.
Gender-neutral pronouns have emerged as a beacon of inclusivity, offering a respectful address for individuals with diverse identities or those who are on a journey of self-discovery. However, this progressive step, championed by gender activists over years of tireless advocacy, is now being unjustly labeled as an "illness." The evolution of language to accommodate gender diversity represents a significant milestone in our societal progress towards inclusivity and acceptance. To dismiss this achievement as a mere ailment is not only disrespectful but also undermines the struggles and triumphs of those who have fought for recognition and validation.
Bhavish has also called on Indian developers to adopt our own DPI social media framework to counter Microsoft’s Western propagation among Indians. “It is a challenge, as all developers know, but my team is so charged up about doing this. Any other developer who wants to move out of Azure, we will offer a full year of free cloud usage. As long as you don’t go back to Azure after that!," he said on X.