New Delhi: The recent daylight murder of makeup artist and influencer Mad Sandhu has shaken both the Internet and the queer community. While everyday hate is something the community is well used to, the recent incident has made many question whether anyone is safe at all.
Madhu Sudan Sandhu, better known as Mad Sandhu, was shot dead by two unidentified assailants in Amritsar, Punjab, on 3 October. Sandhu was a vocal advocate of LGBTQ rights and gender issues, and had allegedly received threats and online abuse in the past. He was taken to a nearby hospital, but soon succumbed to his injuries. There is now an investigation underway into his death.
But while the police figure out the why and the who, X users have labelled the incident are calling it another “collapse in law and order in Punjab.”
“Influencer and makeup artist Mad Sandhu shot dead in Amritsar. Seriously, isn’t this going way too far now? Singers, businessmen, influencers… anyone who gets a little fame is ending up being targeted in Punjab? What is happening?” posted one X user.
Another questioned, “What’s happening in Punjab?”
Lok Sabha MP and Congress Party leader Gurjeet Singh Aujla, in an X post, also echoed the feeling of lawlessness.
“‘Not just Mad Sandhu’s murder, but a murder of law & order!’ His alleged repeated threats were ignored until it was too late,” he posted.
Others are still mourning the loss of a popular internet figure.
“So an LGBTQ influencer, Mad Sandhu, was shot dead in Amritsar yesterday. I opened the comment section of a Tamil news post only to find the most regressive comments rejoicing somebody’s death. Do you guys really have so much hatred for people who choose to live life on their own?” read one post.
One user called Sandhu’s death a “shocking end to a life that was lived openly and fearlessly.”
He was often referred to as the “rising face of Punjab’s LGBT community.”
“His effeminate style irked many, jealous or otherwise. Punjab, a state full of diaspora still living in the Stone Age,” posted another.
One user said that “no one should be killed for who they are or whom they love.”
“Mad Sandhu’s story is a devastating reminder of the fear and isolation many LGBTQ+ people face growing up, forced to hide parts of themselves to feel safe. His life deserved dignity, freedom and love, not violence,” the post read.
The LGBTQ+ community too is mourning the loss of one of their own.
“Mad Sandhu, a young, openly gay make-up artist & influencer, was shot dead in Punjab yesterday. He had faced homophobic hate for years because he had the courage to be out & live life on his own terms. I am devastated and ashamed that my countrymen have so much hate filled in their hearts,” read one post.
A social media account for LGBTQ+ awareness called Yes, We Exit posted about Sandhu’s death, saying that many were concerned about his “media content, dressing and his ‘bad’ influence on the youth.”
The Queer Hindu Alliance also put out a statement condemning Sandhu’s murder, adding that “invoking faith to justify hatred and violence is unacceptable.”
“Punjab and Bharat belong equally to their LGBTQ citizens. No extremist can take away our right to live in safety and dignity. We demand swift justice, protection for those threatened, and accountability for those inciting violence,” the statement read.