While the social media has proved to be a good platform to help people in distress, in the current situation in the city, it has been criticised for instilling fear in the already worried north-eastern community.
“The MMS clip needs to be banned and people need to stop sending the SMS to their friends. This is creating more panic,” said a student from Arunachal Pradesh Rima Jonathan.
“Every second someone or the other updates a status message about how they are being harassed. Our parents back home are already worried and the social media is not helping,” said Vicky Fernandes, another student.
Activist from an NGO called Human Rights Alert Monika Khangembam had used the social networking platform to urge the authorities to nab the culprits behind the murder of Richard Loitham, a fellow student. However, now she believes that the social media is causing fear in the city. “I do believe that there was always an underlying fear amongst our community when we migrated — this suppressed fear is now coming out in the open. Why would otherwise a small threat message cause people to abandon their lives and leave the city,” said Monika.
The internet censorship debate too has gained mileage. Experts believe that while not all content should be censored, some data that has the potential to spark protests or instigate fear should be moderated before it is uploaded.