CHHATTISGARH: Storytelling is an art that extends its soothing influence through a persuasive nudge for a good cause. When it becomes a mission under the guidance of a police chief, it turns into a tool to protect oneself against unseen threats such as cybercrimes. Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police Prashant Agrawal, an IPS officer of 2008 batch, has planned an unusual way to reach out to people through an extensive awareness campaign under the catchword, ‘Suno Raipur.’
The audience are citizens and the message is ‘Be Alert, Be Safe.’ The lurking danger is that anyone can be a victim of cybercrimes either due to ignorance or by trickery. The Internet has become an essential tool in everyone’s daily life and changed the way we live, communicate, create friends, do shopping, play games and whatnot.
Agrawal wants to enable citizens to fight the possible threat by adopting safe practices. He lets the residents perceive the risks that their ignorance poses and makes them vulnerable to be cyber swindlers.
“We are organizing Cyber Chaupals (small gatherings) at housing societies, public places like parks, shopping complexes, malls, markets besides industries and offices to inform people about digital frauds and cybercrimes. We share with them the stories of various cybercrimes that we have analyzed,” he says. His experiment involves his experiences as an SP in six districts and as an assistant inspector general in Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems.
Cyber swindlers look out for easy targets irrespective of their socio-economic or educational background. Agrawal has signed up around 400 volunteers in the campaign. Police personnel are proactive members ready to boost the morale of the volunteers.
The conversations converge on various dos and don’ts underlining safeguard mechanisms and are conducted by cyber experts, skilled guides, nodal officers from banks and police officers. Officials drawn from various associations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Indian Medical Association, Bar Council and other outfits participate in the campaign.
Creative messages designed for use on social media and short videos (some with personal stories) at multiplexes, are an essential part of the campaign, says Agrawal. The visiting teams share awareness material on WhatsApp and Facebook with a request to citizens to circulate it among groups.
“Right messaging leads to pronounced impacts on people’s behaviour. After watching the short movies followed by an interactive session, it becomes easier to enable a meaningful conversation,” says SK Farhan, a criminal lawyer.
The campaigners also include artistes who play nukkad natak (street plays) to spread awareness on cybercrimes. Besides, Facebook live sessions with experts and panel discussions are held on regional media channels. The initiative also incorporates presentations at gatherings of professionals, educational institutions and offices followed by discussions to enlighten the citizens.
The police does not have any dedicated fund for the initiative. “We have taken support of corporate social responsibility funds from industries to meet our expenses,” says Agrawal. “Cyber Chaupals brief people on how to remain cyber-secure both at personal and organizational levels,” says Dr Rakesh Gupta, chairman Chhattisgarh Hospital Board.