Propensity to believe in rumours and take active part in their spread has been steadily cultivated by a portion of Indian population and they derive a strange satisfaction in it. Most of the time, depending on their  impact-creating capacities, it has been found that negative results are the immediate consequences for society as a whole. The old silly habit has again resurfaced during the lockdown and hardly any part of India can be singled out where, it can be said with emphasis that rumours haven’t hit. Arunachal Pradesh, unfortunately is also witnessing this social misconduct although intermittently, but it’s reassuring also that respective DAs have made it clear in most outspoken terms that such irresponsible acts will not be tolerated. Tuesday’s caveat by West Siang DA is a latest of such administrative action in response to the fake news that a Covid-19 positive case has been detected which was flowing freely engineered by a WhatsApp group. It’s not the moment to deal with the psychological nemesis which leads to such anti-societal misadventures and there is no scope either to make any pre-emptive strike since the route now preferred is the social media which has enviable outreach qualities within least imaginable time. But what the state administration through its local functionaries can certainly do is to nip them in the bud itself by taking appropriate actions against these unforgivable wrongdoers that will thereby act as deterrents for prospective others.

Based on a general understanding of the current lockdown impact, it’s a fact that a large portion of citizens have become unexpectedly susceptible to fake news. A dual fear of getting overwhelmed by the deadly contagion and the unprecedented insecurity regarding sustenance and making good the hefty economic loss the lockdown is entailing has made nerves jittery and as such and presumably, any news, however apparently wild it may seem, is being swallowed by the masses without verifying authenticity. A series of such has hit the country over last three weeks and the Palghar lynching incident in Maharashtra which was a direct result of rumours with social media in foreground has shaken the national conscience. In yet another case of rumour-mongering, 400 to 500 labourers came out on streets in Mangalore forgetting totally the social distancing norm, succumbing to a canard that Rs 2,000 will be distributed by the government.

So far as legal arsenals are concerned, the fact is the country still has no specific law for dealing with social platforms-linked fake news circulation and only certain IPC sections can be evoked as response. But, since these people are getting smarter with their smartphones, it’s high time to make suitable laws to outsmart them with an arc on cyber vigilance.