Arshdeep Singh's Wiki Page Edited To 'Khalistani' After Dropped Catch Against Pakistan, Centre Initiates Probe

The Asian Cup Match between India and Pakistan held on September 4 was among the most awaited matches by fans from both countries. India's defeat in the same was then taken bitterly by many, who were quick to find someone to blame for losing the game.

Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh was on the receiving end of this flak over a catch he dropped in the 18th over of the game with Asif Ali's batting. The dropped catch did prove costly for Team India, but he made a brave comeback and bowled a splendid final over that kept India in the game till the final ball.

However, he became a victim of vicious trolling on social media platforms, and in the most recent incident, his Wikipedia page was edited to call him slurs and associate him with the Khalistani separatist movement.

Violation Of Safe And Trusted Internet

Information on Arshdeep Singh's Wikipedia page was edited, linking him to the Sikh separatist Khalistan movement. Wrongful and hateful edits were made by an unregistered user, replacing the word "India" with "Khalistan" and his name being changed to "Major Arshdeep Singh Bajwa". The changes came to the notice of Wikipedia editors, who reversed them within 15 minutes and claimed that the edits were done by elements in Pakistan.

Being a volunteer-led platform, the Wikimedia Foundation said that they had not set any form of editorial policy on Wikipedia, which has paved the way for the spread of hate speech, misinformation, and fake news multiple times. An article by the NDTV stated that the editorial policies are often determined by global volunteers who edit the page on a monthly basis and they keep a check on the source and citations of information that goes online.

Responding to the same, the Wikimedia foundation stated that Vandalism occurs from time to time on their pages as it is an open platform. Admitting that it is a serious violation of the "trust and good faith of our editors and readers, and runs contrary to the values on which Wikipedia is based," the foundation also added that they make an effort to reverse edits through bots or editors within minutes.

In regard to the misinformation that was put across, the government issued a notice on Wikipedia. They slammed the platform and made it clear that such incitement and false information would not be entertained. Minister of State for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar took to Twitter to state that,

"No intermediary operating in India can permit this type of misinformation and deliberate efforts to incitement and user harm - violates our govts expectations of safe and trusted internet".

Last year, this issue was taken up by the government, and they notified new IT rules to ensure that digital intermediaries are more accountable for the content hosted on their platforms. It also required the responsible companies to take down contentious content quicker and cooperate in the investigations.

The Support Continues To Pour In Amidst It All

Coach Jaswant Rai commented on the issue and said that people are emotional about the sport in India, especially when it's a "high-voltage match against Pakistan". He added that this, however, should still be viewed as a game within which winning and losing are an inevitable part. Extending his support to the player, the coach said that "The same people praised Arshdeep after he got two wickets in the opening game. Making an issue of a drop catch is wrong".

Soon after the game, former captain of the Indian Team Virat Kohli defended the player in the post-match press conference. Building upon the support were other cricketers, including Harbhajan Singh and Aakash Chopra. Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez also made it a point to come out in support of Arshdeep and requested fans not to "humiliate" him over mistakes that could happen from any player's end.

My request to all Indian team fans. In sports we make mistakes as we r human. Please don't humiliate anyone on these mistakes. @arshdeepsinghh

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) September 4, 2022

Many political leaders of Punjab had come forth to express their support after the online trolls lashed out at the player. Tweeting with the hashtag #IStandWithArshdeep, they said that the cricketer from Mohali is a "player full of potential,".

The kind of hate 23 year old Arshdeep is being subjected to is appalling. Let us cut that young man some slack. Arshdeep is an amazing talent and will lead the Indian bowling attack in the coming years. No hate can pull him down. #IStandWithArshdeep pic.twitter.com/CL1o4oVSLD

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) September 5, 2022

Punjab sports minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer contacted Arshdeep's mother over the phone and assured her that the entire country stood in support of Arshdeep. Hayer also tweeted that "Victory or defeat is given in the game.

Arshdeep Singh is an upcoming star who carved out a niche in a short span. Performed excellently against Pakistan. Regressive psyche to troll him on the drop of just a catch. Arshdeep is the future of the nation and an inspiration for youth. Hate has no place in sports".

Also Read: Rs 5,000 Fine On Students For Watching Or Posting About India-Pak Match: Srinagar College Issues Order