There is an increasing proof that what we share information online ends up causing a huge upset to people in real life, especially in Whatsapp. In shocking news, 5 people were lynched to death over Whatsapp-based rumours. So far, at least 23 people have been lynched or attacked recently in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Tripura.
The message that went viral claimed that there was a group of ‘Child-lifters’ moving from village to village. In a mob violence, 5 men were killed by villagers in Maharashtra’s Dhule on Sunday, according to the police.
It is learnt that villagers noticed one of the victims communicating with a child after getting down from the bus. Villagers doubted him to be a kidnapper and started to thrash badly. Soon, others joined the attack and made it worse as the five men were killed in a mob violence, the police said.
Similarly, in Chennai, two men were thrashed by a group of people over Whatsapp-based rumours they were trying to abduct a child. The police said the two men who were assaulted are migrant labourers who have been plying their trade on contract with Chennai Metro. According to the police, 15 people have been taken into custody in link with the incident.
The biggest mistake people make in today’s world is forwarding the message to others without even knowing whether the source is genuine or fake. First of all, one needs to trust the source from where they are getting information. According to a survey, more than 20 crore people are on Whatsapp, which literally means that 1 person out of every person is using Whatsapp application.
If sources are to be believed, around 26 people have been victims to rumours spread on Whatsapp. WhatsApp needs to look into these serious matters and should have a control over the WhatsApp group and their messages.
