Rumors: A formidable weapon. (By - Anant Mathur)

 RUMOURS

By - Anant Mathur 

Currently in today's scenario the most dangerous weapon as well as illness in society is RUMOURS. It can be spread by anyone as well as can harm anyone, it is kind of a virus in the society which needs to be destroyed.

Malicious rumors can result in real violence. They have always existed but ever since smartphones and platforms like WhatsApp and Twitter became ubiquitous, the reach and speed and impact of such rumors has grown exponentially. The spate of lynching's over child-lifting rumours is a notable example from recent years.

For a city struggling to return to normalcy after communal rioting, malicious rumours threaten a relapse even as the embers are still smoldering. The whole world is on the edge as rumours spread rapidly about renewed violence in different parts across the globe But government are acting efficiently to put a lid on these rumours through social media posts and other measures.

It was also a reminder that instead of draconian mobile and internet shutdowns, it is much better to defang fake news by creating awareness, swiftly debunking rumours, allowing mainstream media to report freely, instituting a culture of fact checks, police growing deeper roots in local communities and prosecuting culprits swiftly.

Finally, it is a reminder of the urgent need for some society reforms, without which the independence and professionalism of the force remain tragically hobbled.