TeaSpreading false news about North Indian Hindi-speaking workers being attacked by locals in Tamil Nadu was a surefire recipe for creating communal tension. But the way the Tamil Nadu police acted to control this misinformation fire should serve as a template for other police forces in India to tackle the menace of fake news.
The alleged “incidents” were first reported on social media and soon spread to the print media, potentially fueling the risk of sectarian tension and causing widespread panic.
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How does fake news spread
Many social events in the last week of February 2023 media post started going viral, claiming that North Indian laborers were attacked by locals in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur district. The post alleged that the attackers were Tamils who were angered by the presence of North Indian workers in the state.
Initially, these were dismissed as minor pranks as only old unrelated videos were in circulation. However, in political circles he was seen as a attempt to attack Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who was in Tamil Nadu on March 1 to celebrate the birthday of state Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Soon the situation turned serious as “reports” of “attacks” started appearing in the newspapers as well. It was learned that all such reports were coming from towns in Bihar. Despite this, no reporter or editor in Bihar has seen fit to travel to Tamil Nadu or even call police officers in the state to verify such claims. As it happens, incisors traveled at a fast pace.
When this development came to the notice of the Social Media Monitoring Cell of the Tamil Nadu Police, the matter was reported at the highest level and the State Police lost no time in taking action.
The Tamil Nadu Police, which was closely monitoring the situation, soon realized that the posts were fake and took immediate action to stop it from spreading. It issued a statement urging people not to believe in rumors and assured them that the situation is under control.
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Nipping fake news in its bud
On March 2, Tamil Nadu DGP posted a Video On social media, clearly stating that there is no attack on North Indian laborers on the basis of language. He cited that one video was of a fight between Bihari labourers, and the other was of a fight between locals. He warned mischief makers and said that the police was keeping a watch on fake news and rumor mongers would be dealt with strictly. The message was also posted as text and received widespread media coverage.
Rumors are doing the rounds on social media and other media platforms that North Indians and Hindi speaking people are being attacked in Tamil Nadu. These rumors are not posted without verifying these events and facts. 1/4 https://t.co/cuzvY48sFk
– Tamil Nadu Police (@tnpoliceoffl) March 2, 2023
Two days later, Chief Minister MK Stalin assured that the state government would protect the migrant labourers.
Taking cues from top police officials, various state departments have also started identifying social media handles suspected of spreading fake news and informing people that such videos and reports are unverified, and action will be taken against those circulating such content. Legal action will be taken. This had a dramatic effect and most handles complied.
The Tamil Nadu Police has a strong social media monitoring cell that monitors incidents on social media, which came in handy this time.
The language issue has political significance for Tamil Nadu, as in the sixties, the state was infuriated when the central government tried to impose Hindi. However, this time, for the purpose of policing and maintaining law and order, the Tamil Nadu Police used Hindi as a means of communication. The police took with them IPS officers who could communicate in Hindi and recorded their message assuring the workers that they were safe in Tamil Nadu and that the administration was there to ensure their safety. These video messages were posted on the handle of the district police and sent on WhatsApp groups. The police also set up helpline numbers at the state and district levels and deputed people who could communicate in Hindi.
#A state in Eastern India #Migrant #helpline #dgpsilendrababuips #tnpolice pic.twitter.com/NpMd7kDZPQ
– Tamil Nadu Police (@tnpoliceoffl) March 4, 2023
Police also took strict action against one north indian newspaper allegedly to spread fake news, The Twitter handle of the state police tagged all major Hindi news outlets and informed them that they must verify such news before publishing it, else face strict action. The crackdown against some major news outlets helped quell the turmoil and pacified media platforms. The police also called newspapers and TV channels and shared the contact information of the officials with them so that they could verify the news reports before publication. There were also two politicians from Tamil Nadu to book,
Police and administration officials visited the areas where North Indian laborers usually live and assured them of their safety and security. A large number of police personnel were deployed at railway stations as the situation came to the fore during the festival of Holi, when many migrant workers left for their native places. This gave a feeling that the police were there to protect the migrant workers. Several industries and trade organizations were also involved in assuring the migrant workers that all is well, and there is no need to pay heed to misinformation.
Political leadership also played a role. The Chief Minister took charge of the situation and held a meeting with the top officials giving instructions to restore normalcy at the earliest. He also spoke to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Tejashwi Yadav to address their concerns. Senior DMK leader and former Union minister TR Baalu was sent to Bihar to coordinate between the two states. The Bihar government also acted swiftly, arresting several people who posted fake news on social media and charging them with spreading false information and creating public unrest.
With these arrests, the situation soon returned to normal.
lesson learned
India has seen linguistic riots in the past, and with the potential of social media, especially Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp, to spread false information and create chaos and confusion is huge. It has been observed on an industrial scale in neighboring Myanmar where too false information And propaganda spread through social media platforms fueled violence and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, adding to ethnic and religious tensions that were already simmering in the country. This demonstrates the potential for social media to magnify existing divisions and create chaos, especially in areas vulnerable to political or social instability.
The important point from the example of Tamil Nadu is that fake news should never be underestimated. Monitor it closely, check wide usage of keywords, reach out to people, use social media extensively, catch major offenders, take strong action against them and publicize it. While this framework may be broad, different situations may require unique solutions that can be developed.
An important lesson from this episode is that fake news is not always political. It can also be driven by economic incentives. Social media platforms pay content creators based on views, and divisive content can garner significant attention. So, there will always be a possibility that content creators may try to pull such mischief again.
Dilip Mandal is the former managing editor of India Today Hindi magazine, and has written books on media and sociology.
(Editing by Anurag Choubey)