A brutal case of mob lynching from Tiruvannamalai district in Tamil Nadu has left the state in disbelief. A family of five from Chennai, who had stopped their car at Polur to visit a temple, were assaulted, chased and attacked by a mob of 200 people.
This hostility from the villagers of Athimoor was triggered by the visitors distributing sweets to children in the village. The strangers were then immediately labelled child traffickers and angry villagers descended on them, killing a 65-year-old woman, Rukmani, in the group.
But this wasn’t an isolated case.
Other Times the Mob Got It Wrong
Thirty-year-old Ganesh from Palaverkadu, who had a mental condition, was beaten by close to 90 villagers, who broke his nose and pierced his eyes. They then tied a noose around his neck and hung him to death from a bridge, because they believed he was a threat to the children.
Similar incidents have been reported from multiple districts across the state. And the cause for this mass hysteria and violence have been narrowed down to a single factor – false messages, audios and videos that have been circulated on Whatsapp about child-traffickers.
Subsequent stories by sections of the Tamil media too added to the panic.
What Do the Messages Say?
According to locals, police and journalists who have been receiving these messages, the deluge of false information began in early April.
The latest in this blitzkrieg of alarming messages is an audio recording, purportedly by a man from Vellore. In the audio, an unidentified man alleges that 400 people had come to Tamil Nadu to abduct children. This warning even came with a video that allegedly showed how easily children are being picked up from the streets.
The video which is being spread along with it shows two men on a bike picking up a child who was playing cricket on the road and speeding away.
The video, according to multiple sources, is old and is being misused to create panic. A message with video further urges people to circulate it.
These messages have been spreading like wildfire across districts and they carry wrong data and statistics to alarm the reader.
A message targeting the people of Kancheepuram district reads, "Don't allow your children to leave the house alone. Till today, 52 children have been abducted in the district. There are complaints in every police station."
Another undated and false message reads that a man from Rajasthan has been arrested at Vandavasi in Tiruvannamalai for attempting to abduct a child.
These fake messages have led to unprecedented attacks across districts on anyone the public deems suspicious. Two days ago, in Kancheepuram, a local auto driver was mistaken for a Hindi speaker trying to abduct children and assaulted.Kancheepuram SP Santhosh Hadimani
"The numbers that these messages propagate are completely wrong. In Kancheepuram for instance, no case of child abduction has been reported in the last two months," he adds.
Countering the Propaganda
Police have recognised the alarming effect of these messages on the general public.
Across the state now, awareness drives have been undertaken by the district police to counter the false propaganda.
In Vellore district, SP Pagalavan has dispatched autorickshaws with speakers to announce messages to the public.
In Kancheepuram too, a similar method has been adopted. Police officers travel in these autos, asking people to not panic and turn violent if they suspect that someone could be a child abductor. He has also said that Goondas Act will be filed on those indulging in mob violence.
The public service announcement goes as follows – “Don't believe rumours about child abduction. Without proper investigation, you can't harass or assault anyone. If your children are missing, come inform the nearest police station. If you find someone suspicious, inform the police. Action will be taken against those who attack innocent people by accusing them of child abduction.”
(This article was first published on The News Minute and has been republished with permission.)
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