They say a fire begins with a spark and it seems that the fire in Haryana – the violence that has broken out, killing six people, injuring many others and vandalising property – was sparked by provocative social media posts.
The Haryana home minister Anil Vij on Wednesday stated that social media had played a significant role in fuelling the violence in Nuh and the state government has formed a three-member committee tasked with monitoring social media activities from 21 July onwards. “Social media has played a significant role in fuelling the violence in Nuh. In response to this concern, the state government has formed a three-member committee tasked with monitoring social media activities 21 July onwards. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and others will be closely examined/scanned for any provocative posts,” an official statement quoted Vij as saying.
He further appealed to people to use social media responsibly and refrain from sharing inflammatory content.
Also read: ‘Burn them alive’: What FIR reveals about harrowing violence in Nuh
Fanning the flames
The communal clashes, which began in Nuh and have now spread to other parts of Haryana, including Gurugram, Palwal and Sohna, began on Monday when the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) carried out a Braj Mandal Yatra in Nuh district.
The immediate trigger for the violence is believed to be a video by infamous cow vigilante (gau rakshak) Monu Manesar – who has been absconding from the police in a murder case. Prior to Monday’s rally, he had posted a video confirming his presence (the police later said he hadn’t attended the yatra).
Following his video post, some Muslims in Nuh responded by posting their own videos, warning the administration not to allow him and demanding for his arrest. Some of the videos reveal threats against Manesar’s presence; one said: “…don’t spoil peace here.” Another threatened retaliation for the two youth Manesar has allegedly killed in Bhiwani earlier.
And that’s not it. Prior to the yatra, another cow vigilante who is known for his hate-filled speeches, Bittu Bajrangi, had also shared a video of him participating in the procession. The slow-motion clip showed Bajrangi walking in saffron attire, accompanied by a soundtrack featuring the lyrics “Goli pe goli chalengi, baap to baap rahega” (gunshots will be exchanged, the father will remain the father).
The caption on the video read, “Kal Mewat aa raha hu (I am coming to Mewat tomorrow (Monday).”
On the day of the yatra too, several Bajrangi and VHP followers posted multiple live videos. Some of them being quite provocative in nature; one showed Bajrangi exclaiming in a post, “Your brother-in-law is arriving with a convoy of 150 cars. Have the garlands ready. Don’t complain later about not being informed of my visit to my in-laws.”
This video too attracted several comments from the opposite side, with one threatening to thrash Bajrangi black and blue.
And following the violence in Nuh, more videos circulated widely in the area from both sides, both threatening more violence and vandalism.
Also as violence spread from Nuh to Gurugram and other areas, some people began to spread a video showing several people wearing skull caps and pelting stones at a bus, alleging that this was happening in Nuh. However, it was later revealed that the video was from July 2019 July 2019 and from Gujarat’s Surat. It reportedly shows protesters attacking a bus and turning violent during a rally against mob lynching.
Related stories to Haryana violence
Haryana: How Nuh violence spread to Gurugram, where mosque was attacked
Haryana: Were the clashes in Nuh planned? How did rioters, yatris get weapons?
Haryana communal violence: Did the police fail to act on time in Nuh?
Probe begins
Acknowledging that social media posts with provocative messaging and thinly veiled threats played a role in the violence that continues to grip the state, Haryana home minister Anil Vij has announced that a three-member committee has been set up to look into social media activity in the run-up to the Nuh violence.
Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp among others will be closely examined for any inflammatory posts. The committee will take appropriate legal action against those found spreading hatred or misinformation.
Police spokesperson Krishan Kumar also highlighted the role of social media posts in the clashes. “Our cyber experts were already on alert ahead of the yatra. There were so many posts on Facebook, which were spreading hatred. They were checking all the comments and making a list of those people,” he told the Times of India.
However, a fresh investigation had to be started as the cyber police station in Nuh was ransacked during the clashes. “We have thousands of Facebook Live videos, which are helping us track all the attackers,” he added.
In the meantime, authorities have strengthened security in the state and also suspended mobile internet services in Nuh, Faridabad, Palwal, Sohna, Pataudi, Manesar, and sub-divisions of Gurugram until 5 August.
According to a News18 report, the Centre has also begun taking action following the violence. The central agencies have narrowed down on close to 100 social media handles that are highly active and involved in spreading propaganda related to the Nuh violence through their accounts.
Social media and violence
While Haryana may be the latest incident of how social-media hate incites violence, it’s not a lone event. Recently, social media companies came under scrutiny in France as the country’s president blamed TikTok, Snapchat and other platforms for helping fuel widespread riots over the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver.
President Emmanuel Macron had accused social media of playing a “considerable role” in encouraging copycat acts of violence as the country tries to tamp down protests that surfaced long-simmering tensions between police and young people in the country.
Former US president Donald Trump has been charged for mobilising far-right extremists in 2021 after he lost the presidential election, leading to the Capitol riots.
In India, earlier in May, the Maharashtra state cyber department had found that provocative social media posts have resulted in communal violence in the state over the past 12 months.
Earlier in 2013, Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh saw widespread communal riots. A video of a lynching had gone viral then, and it was only later that it was found that the visuals were from Pakistan and had been passed off as Indian.
With inputs from agencies
from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/kKmUNFZ
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