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Internet debates if Divija Bhasin’s attempt to reclaim a slur is empowering or out of touch

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Piyush Singh
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Divija Bhasin found herself at the centre of an online debate after her latest video aimed at changing people's views on a slur. Here’s what it’s all about.

If you’ve been scrolling through Instagram lately and noticed people adding “Proud R**di” to their bios, you’re probably wondering what exactly is happening. Over the last couple of days, the phrase has spread widely online, leaving people divided about whether it’s a bold act of feminism or simply too much. 

Where it all began

The whole thing started with Divija Bhasin, a counselling psychologist and content creator who often uses her platform to talk about mental health. On November 8, she uploaded a YouTube video titled “I am a PROUD R**DI,” where she spoke about her experience of being repeatedly called the word online for expressing her opinions. The word “r**di,” which is a derogatory Hindi term for sex worker, is often used casually to insult women who are outspoken or independent.

In her video, Divija shared screenshots of hate comments and messages, and said that instead of running away from the insult, she wanted to reclaim it. Her point was that if people are going to keep using the word to insult women, then why not take its power away by using it ourselves? She encouraged women to add “Proud R**di” to their bios as a small act of rebellion, similar to how words like “b**ch” and “queer” have been reclaimed in other parts of the world.

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The idea spread quickly. Within hours, young women began posting about it and changing their bios. Some said it made them feel confident, while others saw it as a way to speak out against everyday misogyny. 

But not everyone saw it that way. Soon, complaints were filed against the creator under obscenity laws. Activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwajalso wrote to the National Commission for Women, calling the campaign irresponsible and harmful, especially for minors. Divija responded by pointing out that the word is used publicly every day without consequence, but people suddenly have a problem when a woman uses it for herself.

The internet splits

As with most debates online, people took sides very quickly. Supporters see the phrase as a form of resistance. They say that by owning the word, they can stop it from being used as a weapon. Others, however, believe that the whole idea crosses a line. They argue that asking teenagers to add such a word to their bios is not empowerment, but irresponsibility. Some also feel that it overlooks the experiences of actual sex workers, for whom the R-word is not just an insult but part of a painful reality marked by exploitation and stigma. 

Here is how some people on social media have reacted to the hope thing:

Where the logic falters

Divija’s main idea that reclaiming a slur takes away its sting is not wrong in theory, but it doesn’t always work the same way everywhere. In India, where class, gender, and social realities are layered, words like “r**di” don’t exist in isolation. They carry centuries of judgment and exclusion. Reclaiming it without including the voices of women who actually live with that label every day feels incomplete. Many are comparing this with how the word “b**ch” was reclaimed by women who were being demeaned with it. The N-word was reclaimed by Black people who were historically oppressed through it. Both words are still sensitive and controversial, but in those cases, the communities that had lived discrimination took ownership of the word as a symbol of resistance. Outsiders, however, still can’t freely use them because they haven’t lived that trauma. 

In India, the R-word is not just an insult used for any woman but an actual word used to describe sex workers. It's not just a metaphorical slur; it’s an identity that already belongs to a specific, marginalised community, mostly women from lower-income groups, often living in unsafe and stigmatised conditions. For sex workers, especially marginalised women, the label has real consequences, such as loss of dignity, exclusion, and violence. So when someone from a position of relative privilege, educated, urban, and middle class, uses it to make a statement, it can sound like they are borrowing their struggle without living it.

As the conversations on the word continued, users also raised the question of age and context. Pointing out how a 15-year-old added “Proud R**di” in her bio, thinking of it as part of something empowering online, they highlighted how this decision could create serious trouble in her offline life. Users have been debating by highlighting how the internet doesn’t always protect the young, and movements that involve minors need to be more careful about the kind of participation they invite. Finally, some believe that the no campaign is more reactive than reflective. It has started a big conversation, but not necessarily a thoughtful one. The use of the word itself has become the headline, while the larger discussion about how women are spoken to and treated online has taken a back seat. What began as an attempt to challenge abuse risks turned into something that normalises it instead.

The whole debate has shown how deep the cracks run in our conversations about gender and empowerment. Divija’s effort to draw attention to online abuse has done exactly that, but it has also revealed how complicated it is to balance expression, responsibility, and influence in the age of social media.

There’s no denying that the intent to call out how freely women are insulted in this country is important. But the way it was carried out has made many people uncomfortable, and rightly so. Empowerment that doesn’t consider who it leaves out, or how it affects the people watching, can end up creating more noise than change.

What do you think of this conversation? Let us know in the comments below.

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