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How social media ‘shifted’ India’s focus to Abhinandan’s release (IANS Special)

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6 years ago

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By Gokul Bhagabati
New Delhi, March 3 (IANS) The hysteria unleashed on social media platforms after Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman’s plane crashed in Pakistani territory on February 27 is partly responsible for the sudden shift in focus from fighting cross-border terrorism to bringing the pilot back home, experts believe.

The country erupted into joyous celebration following Varthaman’s release after spending over 60 hours in Pakistani captivity.

“Social media did help to build pressure on Pakistan to quickly release the pilot which is excellent. But the hectic activity on social media contributed to derailing the counter-terror measures that the government had initiated after the Pulwama attack on February 14 that killed 40 CRPF troopers,” Pavan Duggal, one of the nation’s top cyber law experts, told IANS.

In a video circulated on social media, the IAF pilot was shown as demonstrating great courage in withholding sensitive information, including his whereabouts in India. However, social media users wasted no time in giving away that information, without realising that whatever they posted were available for a global audience.

“Indian social media users did not exercise the restraint that they were supposed to have in times like these. They were posting without understanding their ramifications. The way they were circulating information, most of which were fake, demonstrated that they became victims of psychological warfare controlled by foreign powers,” Duggal said.

“Abhinandan was part of a broader strategy, but that broader strategy receded into the background partly due to the hectic activity on social media,” he said, adding, that a lot of what the mainstream media showed was somehow linked to content on social media.

Leading tech policy and media consultant Prasanto K. Roy agreed with Duggal when he said that much of the information that was moving fast in social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook was neither genuine nor true.

“We have seen a flurry of fake information and edited videos being circulated on social media from both sides of the border,” Roy told IANS, adding that some of those information circulated in social media might have been very painful to the family of the Indian pilot who was captured in Pakistan.

“The impact of social media has been overwhelmingly negative during the period following India’s an air strike targeting terror camps in Pakistan on February 26,” he added.

So what happens when people do not exercise self-restraint in a situation like the one India faced over the past 10 days?

“In such a case when self-regulation becomes ineffective, it will be a good idea to come up with specific guidelines which should govern the behaviour and the acts done on social media during important moments of our national interest,” Duggal said.

“We have in place something called Information Technology (Intermediaries guidelines) Rules, 2011 which often asks service providers to inform people not to do certain activities on their platform.

“But the IT Rules 2011 don’t have teeth. I think there should be now a dedicated provision for legal consequences should you violate these provisions,” Duggal noted.

Overall, he said, this episode can be seen as a learning experience for social media users as this is the first time they were confronted with a situation of this magnitude and importance.

“Social media users should become warriors for the country rather than impacting India’s sovereign interest. At the same time, the government should also not be influenced by the change in the course of social media discourses,” Duggal said.

(Gokul Bhagabati can be contacted at [email protected])

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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3 months ago

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September 3, 2024

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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