Dear NALSAR,
With certain events that have recently transpired on campus and the Open House discussion regarding anonymous emails, we are led to question the very necessity of the veil of anonymity. Although it is a fact that many of us are exhausted from waking to our inboxes filled with anonymous waging of wars, and outright despicable behavior behaviour exhibited by certain campus occupants, before we decide to completely outlaw anonymous mails, let us quickly cloak the veil of anonymity and delve into why we need it.
As someone who has been a student at NALSAR for a while now, I have come to learn quite a bit about the culture here, and there is only one way to put it- “As toxic as it is grand.” Our community is one so filled with prejudices and animosities, sometimes to the point we fail to even recognise why. I am not here to be a saint and preach, so I shall move on to the point.
NALSAR does not provide a space (Bonus points!!) for everyone to freely express their beliefs and ideas, and that is where anonymous mails come in. When an individual’s identity is hidden, and only their ideas are put forth, one layer of bias is removed, and removal of that one layer of bias ensures that voices are heard and not discarded at first glance with prejudice. Not that anonymous mails are treated with significant dignity (or that some deserve to be treated with dignity), but it is a step closer to achieving a NALSAR where those who want to speak, can, without being afraid of the consequences. SoSo, until we have an environment NALSAR where everyone is capable of respecting each other, I am afraid anonymous mails are a necessity!
And whileWhile it is true that the veil of anonymity can and has been used as a weapon to wage war against particular individuals of in our community, we cannot ignore the benefits it offers either. SoSo, what is the solution? I am not entirely sure, but let us think twice before boycotting anonymous mails.
Yours anonymously,
A NALSARite.