Right intent and spirit to scrap fake news rule – Jai Ho Modiji

The recent effort of Ministry of IB to scuttle fake news from spreading like wild fire is much needed and inevitable. Due high social media presence the fake news even from a remote corner of India can travel to different parts at the speed of light. Therefore a self regulation without heeding to any political colour while reporting news is essential for everyone in media profession.

Once the a fake news is implanted, even if it is condoned later as fake news, the damage it can cause in limited time is incalculable. Therefore weeding out the instinct of fake news’s from being reported is essential.

The question is how the reporting of fake news can be regulated and controlled. Imposing stringent punishment may be one of the methods. But how to define the news whether it is fake news or real news is a million dollar question especially when opinion is mired as news.

Even the opinion of someone can be misinterpreted as fake news because opinions of some people can have greater influence in the society. Therefore the opinion that exerts great influence upon large sections of people also can be gravely interpreted as substance similar to fake news. Therefore such draconian law the government proposes to bring to arrest fake news can progressively erode the freedom of speech and the basic democratic ethos.

In due course of time even the expression of opinion can be amounting to be called fake news from the end result per se and can call for punishment.

Opinion of people is essential for the existence of democracy as such opinions or views or voices also can give different perspectives to the government about its policies and programmes. Government or the law makers alone need not be assumed as the repository of wisdom in the country. When certain opinions go against the core principle of the ruling dispensation, such opinions can change the thinking of people. Naturally such situation can create some embarrassment to the Government. Under such situations it can be interpreted that the opinion is purely personal and not reflect the truth therefore the opinion is as same as fake news.

Established columnists can fight the case and win their right. But the emerging present generation columnists and bloggers, fighting for their rights and freedom of expression is not that easy. Instead of fighting, people may turn off from airing their opinions which is extremely bad for democracy.

Even a simple letter to editor piece also can be defined as fake news. Fake news is nothing but a piece of information which need not be true but can create an impact in the society.

For example the decision of government to legalize cross pathy and quackery the people from wide spectrum have made their opinion against such barbaric decision. This decision of the government was interpreted as promoting hidden agenda of Hindutwa, promoting pseudo science in the name of swadeshi movement, exploiting the penury and ignorance of people in rural India etc. Such expression of opinion can be looked at as an extension of fake news.

The above proposal of government may not only cut down the dichotomy and lateral thinking of people of India but also would seal the lips of people and independent thinking.

May be considering the possible fallout of such new rule to scuttle fake news, Modiji has intervened at the right time to refrain the Ministry of IB not to go ahead with such proposal. All those people who adore Modiji wonder why Modiji failed to question the intent of Niti Ayog and MOHFW to dare to legalize cross pathy. If Modiji had stopped the Ministry from such barbaric proposal in the beginning, people would not have questioned Modiji.

Citizen should remain as neutral as possible and only when neutral population is large in the society, the politicians would tread with caution because neutral people also knows how to disengage all these politicians from power. Hope Modiji will discourage the government from promoting pseudo science in the name of cultural nationalism.