We are gradually learning to savour lies and ignore the truth as we progress from being gullible to being gulled
Image: Who?du!Nelson/Unsplash
Nearly 80,000 accounts were set up by fake fans of Sushant Singh Rajput immediately after his suicide on June 14. The hash tags, #justiceforsushant, #sushantsinghrajput and #SSR were used to spread the murder conspiracy and to cast a shadow on the role of Mumbai police in the investigations. The forensic report put out by AIIMS confirms that the actor’s death was by suicide while the IT cell of Mumbai police have traced the fake accounts to places outside India.
All that was achieved through this false and malicious campaign was a haze around the investigations and twisted truth. Who benefitted or what was the purpose behind this strategy is not very clear. But it did lead to the arrest of Sushant’s girlfriend Rhea Chakrobarty, who spent nearly a month behind bars before she could get bail.
This illustrates the horrific fall out of fake news and constant trolls. Social media has turned into a poisonous fountain spewing venom and throwing up untruths that scatter and spread at the speed of lightening, amplified by the electronic media. This constant dispensation of falsehood has begun to dig holes in our minds obliterating our power to chaff truth from untruth. Unfortunately its political parties like BJP, who have spun and used lies laced with intrigue to the optimum. Social media trolls have been effectively employed to destroy the image of a political opponent and then to resurrect him as imbecile or worst as a vicious villain.
Progressive and Positive
Every society has its share of progressive and positive achievers who move ahead, all the while competing and striving. Then there are those who try to stay ahead by pulling back their competitors, fearing they might get overtaken by them. It this second variety who spend their time in maligning and bringing down the successful.
BJP has mastered this art of defaming and destroying their opponents be it in politics, media or society. Anybody who dares to speak against them is shut down with shrill accusations and whataboutery. This from a party which is the ruling dispensation and has won elections with resounding mandate. What is this fear that they have of their opponents that they constantly run them down to the ground.
Us Vs Them
This freedom to call out people, hurl insults at the slightest of provocation, stymie the truth and roll it over with falsehood, has created a web of deceit that misguides, misinforms and misleads especially the gullible ones. It is all spilling out of the digital world and is gradually creating an acrimonious society where people are perpetually on the defensive and take to subterfuge just to prove a point. Across the offices, living rooms, on dining tables and on streets, now discussions veer on Us vs Them, as even the most neutral of subjects somehow get hooked up to which side are you on. There is no room for cerebral debates, intellectual discussions or civilised conversations.
Yatha Raja Thatha Praja is an old saying in India. The leader, especially one who rides on machismo, appears more compassionate and charismatic if he accepts criticism and walks an extra mile to take up suggestions. He then leads by example to create a more embracing and inclusive society. The current dispensation needs to give this a deep think. After all posterity will judge them for this.
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