National Integration Council, a body of 148 members comprising Union Ministers, Leaders of the Opposition in Parliament, Chief Ministers, leaders of national and regional political parties, eminent people from media, business and public life met under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister to deliberate on the issue of how to strengthen and cement national integration. The meeting had special significance because it met in the background of recent communal clashes at a number of places in the country including Kishtwar in J&K, Nawada in Bihar and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. The refrain of most of the speakers including Chief Ministers was that social media had been misusing the freedom of press and speech in the country.
The Prime Minister expressed disappointment on social media not playing a responsible role and not verifying the news before putting it on air. He lamented that irresponsible leaders were trying to create schism in the society by widening the gulf between the communities. The need of the hour was that they behaved with full responsibility and played positive role in cementing age old fraternal relations among the people. He said that the information technology was misused and through SMS and emails and other sources wrong and explosive news and rumours were floated to mislead the people and stoke the flames of communal distrust and hatred. Recent communal riots had revealed that fake videos were circulated with the sole intention of whipping up communal passion among the people by feeding wrong and false information to them through social media networks. More often than not very small and insignificant issues were magnified only with the purpose of creating commotion among the society. Some sort of curb has to be imposed so that the media does not become the source of spreading communal disharmony. The IT agencies need to devise a mechanism of controlling spread of false and fake information in such situations. Some Chief Ministers attending the meet referred to blatant communal propaganda unleashed by some of the politically motivated leaders.
We have noticed that the standards of politics in our country are on a downslide. Politicians are trying to run down their opponents even at the cost of national integrity. This is a very disappointing scenario and should be arrested. Our country is a mosaic of cultures, religions, languages and ethnicities. The Home Minister said that efforts are being made by some sections to disrupt the harmony and peaceful co-existence among the people. He and many more speakers were of the opinion that some sort of mechanism has to be developed so that misuse of social media is curbed.
The Constitution gives us the freedom of speech and movement. But this freedom has not to be misused and there are laws that provide punitive punishment for misuse of this freedom. It is true that social media has more than required freedom in our country. There are very few countries in the world that can boast of the measure of freedom that we have. But stage has come, when the social media has to be stopped from creating confusion and chaos in the society.
The National Integration Council has taken very serious view of the situation prevailing in the country in regard to social media playing destructive role. In view of the impending parliamentary elections it is important that the Government does not allow dangerous and divisive forces to mislead the nation. We cannot elect the right type of Government under influence of negative elements. As such it is right time that sensible and legal steps are taken that would impose restraint on social media so that no harm is done to the country.
Another important matter that has come under discussion at the Council, too, is of immense importance to the country. It is the security and safety of women. The bus gang rape case in Delhi, in which four convicts have been given death sentence, has also brought to fore the need of providing security to women in their work place, educational institutions and training centers etc. The Home Minister raised the issue and as in the case of social media, desired that the State administrations has to shoulder the responsibility of securing society against miscreants and mischief mongers.
We hope that the meeting of the National Integration Council will bring about concrete results and advise the Government to take stringent steps to curb communal elements and social aberration activities.
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