Anil Agarwal's son's death: Harsh Goenka questions 'like' reactions for grief post

Industrialist Harsh Goenka has sparked a debate on how grief is expressed in the digital age, particularly through likes and comments on social media.

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His remarks followed a post by Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal on X, in which he expressed grief over the death of his son.

'Like' reactions questioned

In a social media post late on Wednesday (January 7), Agarwal announced the passing of his son, Agnivesh Agarwal, who died at the age of 49 after suffering a cardiac arrest in New York.

Responding to the bereaved father’s emotional message, Goenka noted that thousands of users had reacted with a simple "like".

He questioned whether clicking the like button has become a contemporary way of offering condolences, or whether he had failed to grasp the language of grief on social media.

“A child passes away. A grieving father pours his heart out. Thousands respond with a ‘like’. Is this how condolences are expressed in the modern age? Or have I simply failed to learn the language of social media sorrow?” Goenka wrote on X.

'Darkest day'

In his post, Agarwal described his son’s death as the “darkest day” of his life, noting that Agnivesh had been recovering well from injuries sustained in a skiing accident before an unexpected medical complication claimed his life.

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Recalling his son’s life, Agarwal said Agnivesh, born in Patna on June 3, 1976, grew into a respected business leader known for his compassion and values.

Sharing the family’s grief, Agarwal said they were devastated by the loss but drew some comfort from the belief that the thousands of young people working across Vedanta were also like their children.

Social media reacts

Goenka’s post prompted a wide range of responses online, with several users agreeing that social media can make expressions of grief appear shallow, while others called for more thoughtful and humane ways of showing empathy in digital spaces.

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One user wrote, “It does feel heartless when a tragedy receives a ‘like’. But most people aren’t trying to be cruel; they simply don’t know how to express grief online. Social media has unfortunately reduced every emotion to the same button.”

Another commented, “A like is often the quickest way of saying ‘I saw this and I acknowledge your pain’ when people are unsure what to say or fear saying the wrong thing. It’s a digital nod, similar to attending a prayer meeting in silence.”

A third user added, “A ‘like’ doesn’t mean people are mocking him. While some platforms have reaction options for sorrow, X does not. People often come together online, even without personal connections. That, too, is part of social media’s complexity.”