‘Rich cobbler’ laments fictitious post on him

Vijayawada : ‘Don’t allow facts come in the way of a good story’ is a longtime joke in newsrooms where one-upmanship is mantra. This perfectly applies to today’s social media posts where fiction is peddled as truth, irrespective of facts. Those who happily share them don’t bother about the consequences to the persons involved or to ascertain its authenticity.

One such post about a cobbler in Vijayawada, which went viral, sent the man into tizzy, causing immense agony and pain to him.

A netizen shared a post on social media about a cobbler, who ‘sweat it out from morning to evening despite having a son who settled in US, a house in Yanamalakuduru in Vijayawada that earns him Rs 25,000 in rents and whose son-in-law is a bank employee’. Besides, according to the post/message, the cobbler owns even a mango garden in Nunna.

However, the reality is completely different. When The Hans Indiaspoke to the man, it transpired that he earns hardly Rs 300 a day despite mending footwear from morning to evening at Ayyappa Nagar road in Vijayawada.

As the social media post went viral not only in Vijayawada but also across state and Telangana, some media persons from Hyderabad also contacted him to do a ‘human interest’ or a ‘spicy’ story. The creator of post said cobbler did not stop working even at the age of 59 despite having such abundant sources of income, in ‘deference to his family profession’.

“All these claims are false. I don’t own any property and my son has not settled in US. He discontinued studies after Intermediate. My daughter got married,” the poor man laments.

“If I own so many properties like mango garden, a house and my son is settled in US as an engineer, why should I work?” he says.

According to him, recently a man came to him to mend his shoes and had a chitchat while he was on the job during which he enquired about his family. He left after his footwear was repaired. Soon after, this colourful post sprang up on social media and went viral.

On seeing the post, some people came to him and enquired about his financial status. On realising the situation, they expressed pity at him. “I earn barely Rs 300 after working from morning to evening. If I really have so many properties and sources of income, why I should toil daily on roadside?” he wonders.

Some local residents also expressed ire at the netizen for posting fake information.

One person close to the cobbler angrily questioned what is the need to spread such false information about a poor man.

People say those who share such posts without doubting their veracity are as guilty as creators.

Meanwhile, the poor cobbler says he would be more happy if people chip in to help him financially than mindlessly sharing such fictitious posts.