While the majority of us have been focusing on the World Cup these past few weeks, several people have been killed by the popularity of a video shared on WhatsApp.
Out of the nine dead, two of the recent victims were beaten and lynched in North East India after stepping out of their car to ask for directions.
As a result of their murders, 16 people have been arrested in Assam.
The reason behind the mob beatings and lynchings in the last month is due to a video being chain linked around WhatsApp about supposed kidnappers.
The message spread through mass text shows two men on a motor bike picking up a child on the middle of the road accompanied with the caption of “kidnappers” entering the person’s city.
What many of these people don’t know is that the video was a PSA from a Pakistani child safety film.
But trolls cut out the last part of the video and made it one of the deadliest pieces of fake news in recent memory.
Many who were sent this video went into mass hysteria, as they beat up anyone who looked suspicious without any logic involved.
Kidnapping and human trafficking are certainly a big problem in India.
However, seeking this type of justice from vigilantism only makes matters worse.
Like flocks, none of these people questioned the video and it automatically resulted in violently taking the lives of eight innocent beings.
India is a beautiful country with a bright future ahead but it’s cases like these that puts us backwards.
Students in Guwati, Assam protested against these unnecessary mob killings, but much more has to be done to prevent the spread of fake news.
To come to conclusion on an extracted piece of material is very dangerous.
It is because of this herd mentality, that masses of people have been driven to do wrong.
A solution must be found to stop the spread of fake news and educate people who are gullible.
Photo by Warren Wong on Unsplash
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