Should provoking fake news be merely brushed away?
Ninglun Hanghal *
Early this month there was a message circulated on social media, Facebook and particularly on Whatsapp over possible attack by Rohingya muslims in Nagaland. The message says "The Imam is planning to attack Hebron Camp and Kehoi camp after which it will be easy for them to capture Nagaland.. according to intelligence branch of Nagaland police."
Though the message was considered a joke and not taken seriously, with many discarding it as fake news, a national news agency "Asian News International" actually took it as 'breaking news". Further many dailies and news portal across India produced the news as headlines last week.
Moreover the news reports went viral with many elaborating the content in various portals and websites. Some elaborated the news quoting the intelligence branch of Nagaland Police to have warned against a likely attack in the state by the Rohingyas, highlighting the threat that the illegal immigrants pose to national security.
Reports further say that the Nagaland Intelligence sources confirmed that the Imam of Dimapur is contacting the Rohingya rebels and has commenced collecting a huge amount of arms and ammunition from Bangladesh. Reports also quoted officials to have stated that 2,000 Muslims have volunteered to take up arms against the Nagas, if the latter try to drive them out.
It said that around 20 ISIS terrorists have entered Nagaland and are training the volunteers. That suicide bomb attacks and bomb blasts are likely throughout Nagaland. The authorities have directed to track the movement of Muslims in Dimapur, it quoted.
While the 'breaking news' was brushed aside as merely a fake or a rumor, given the sensitive nature and situation in recent months regarding Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar and subsequent events in India, the news piece have a potential to provoke communal strife in the already sensitive, communally and ethnically fragile Nagaland and north-east India at large.
On a closer observation, the message does not seem to be merely a "joke". It was timed at this juncture when the Rohingya issue is debated and is a matter that continues to hogged the headlines with the government announcing to deport the Rohingya refugees . While border areas in north-east states are on high alert the message seems to be perfectly timed.
Moreover the issues of "illegal migrants" as we all know is an issue that north-east India is sensitive of. In fact, the choice of news coincided with a Supreme Court hearing on the issue of deportation of Rohingyas.
The intent seemed to have been one of provoking the NSCN factions against Muslims. The fake news itself was timed immediately after the resolution by Chumukedima (Nagaland) public at a rally on illegal immigrants. In the aftermath, Nagaland police has clarified that it has issued no such inputs regarding Rohingyas. Since one of the messages mentioned a Muslim name identified as an Imam, the Dimapur Idgah Committee issued a rejoinder that no such person existed.
Such fake news or rumor regarding Rohingya vis- a vis- north-east Indian population is not the first time. It may-be recalled that in August 2012 thousands of north-east populations in Bangalore flee the city and subsequently other Indian metro cities in the aftermath of a "rumor" Does this ring any Bell ? Doesn't it appear similar ?
In the 2012 there were two incidents going on in North East India. One was the violent clash between Rohingya Muslims and Burmese Buddhist Monks in Myanmar. The other was the clash between Bodos of Assam and Muslims, with allegations that the Muslims were illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
The 2012 "rumour" came immediately after the said 'violent incidents" .
Now as the issue died down, there was no further report any investigations done regarding the "rumor" that has cause such a tremendous fear and panic leading to an "exodus' in 2012.
In similar case in Nagaland, with the news Agency's Apologies the issue seems to die a natural death. There is an unlikely further probe. It is also surprising that the official intelligence that have been quoted as a sources does not seem to re-act nor take it seriously apart form giving statement of "alert and caution".
This is the second such incident where north-east Indian populations have been pitted against the Rohingya muslims. In the first incidents of 2012, "rumors" have been mischievously planted upon the north-east populations in metro cities, while the recent one a "rumor" was again planted as a ploy to provoke the Nagas or the NSCN (IM) in specific.
Such messages or provoking news are not something that should be brushed way as a mere 'rumor" and end with clarification, apologies or a 'statement of alert and caution'. At a time when north-east is India is slowly inching towards normalcy and opening up to development such incidents are indeed unfortunate.
It may not be wrong to say that some elements surely do not want "peace" in this troubled region and are likely to keep fingering the north-east populations, provoking conflicts, strife and violence in north-east India.
* Ninglun Hanghal wrote this article for The Sangai Express
This article was posted on October 21, 2017.
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