When in doubt, blame it on Pakistan?
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: August 20, 2012 -
So, the rumours of threats to the lives of Northeasterners, thus forcing them to flee home from other parts of the country, are the making of Pakistan, India's arch-rival enemy? On Saturday, Secretary of Union Home Ministry RK Singh went on record to claim that the bulk of hate SMSes and MMSs that triggered panic among people of northeastern states in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and other parts of the country were sourced from Pakistan.
The Union Home Secretary maintained that a total of 76 websites were identified where morphed images of victims of cyclones and earthquakes that took place in different part of the world were shown as victims of violence in Myanmar and Assam and were uploaded in bulk in Pakistan.
All these websites have since been blocked and a 15-day ban on bulk SMSs and MMSs has been imposed.
Apart from these websites, 34 more have been identified and government was in the process of blocking them soon.
Understandably, Pakistan has 'totally' rejected the allegations, and in a statement on Sunday, Pakistan government said, "We find these allegations baseless and unfounded.
Such unsubstantiated and irresponsible statements will not help create the conducive environment we wish to create".
As the sweet and sour relationship between the two neighbouring countries which have been at war thrice and spend greater part of their respective 65 years of independence in accusation and counter-accusation, is known to all, it is not without a pinch of salt that one may have to lap up the claim of India.
Of course, we are not trying to challenge the veracity of the claim, but it does have all the appearances of a good political strategy to cover up something more sinister deep within.
Even if we admit that morphing of the images was done in Pakistan, the Government of India needs to convince the people how these morphed images as well as the threatening SMSs have found way only to people from northeast staying in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Does it mean that the mischief-mongers who are sitting in Pakistan have accessed to all the mobile phone numbers and the social networking sites used by the northeasterners? If this is really so, then why did the Government of India and its intelligence agencies waited until all the jam-packed trains specially arranged for the panic stricken northeasterners left to come up with their 'explosive' revelation.
Mind you, over 30,000 northeasterners have already left Bangalore alone fearing attacks on them following spread of the alleged hate messages.
Anyway, to say that exodus of NE people has subsided only after everyone has fled is the best part of the drama.
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