Ad Hominem in the Intolerance Debate

Often times ad hominem is employed in debates. And in this entire debates happening in the country with regard to intolerance, an ad hominem has been employed again and again. This is not a valid form argument because instead of arguing against the point being raised, it rather attacks the person. 

The historians, scientists, writers and film makers have been returning their awards because, they argue, there is intolerance going on. Certain people have been murdered by self-appointed religious zealots for speaking out against certain form of religious practices and certain other people have been murdered for their association with beef/cow, and again by self-appointed religious zealots. And the murderers in all these cases appeared to have got the audacity to commit such crimes because people in the government have  prepared the ground for such crimes, explicitly or implicitly, with their fiery speeches towards people of certain sorts. And these people of particular sorts happened to be the victim. 

Now when these historians, scientists, writers and film makers/artists returned their awards protesting against such intolerance in the country, those right wing Saffron brigades who are very supportive of the government came in to defend the government. These bunch  of people argue: Where were you when atrocities on Kashmiri Pandits were taking place? Where were you when there was a riot in 1984? Why did you not return your awards then? Thus making it appear as if these people giving back their awards are hypocrites. Well, why they did not return the awards then is indeed a point worth exploring. And each individual may have a response. But I guess the common response could be that whether it's in 1984 or in the case of Kashmiri Pandits, the government's was not complicit like it is happening now. But this is a different point!

But the point is that in this episode the Saffron brigades are employing an ad hominem called tu quoque. So their argument 'where were you then?' does not invalidate the fact that there is intolerance now and this has to be addressed by the government... and that the government of Modi must stop being intolerant. Those who say 'go to Pakistan' or 'drown in the sea' and similar obnoxious arguments must shut their mouth and those who killed people for being different must be booked. The point that those who are returning their awards still stand strong despite the saffron brigades trying to undermine it by raising a fallacious argument.