In a bid to persuade the residents of Ranchi to maintain harmony, following a day of communal tension in the city on Saturday, police officials and Central Peace Committee members will hold a peace march from Albert Ekka Chowk to Hinoo on Sunday.
In a meeting chaired by Ranchi SSP Prabhat Kumar, DC Manoj Kumar and Central Peace Committee members on Saturday evening, it was decided that Section 144 will be relaxed at noon on Sunday for the peace march. Meanwhile, rumours were heard aplenty around the city as communal tension gripped Ranchi on Saturday morning, almost pushing the frenzied, agitating mob off the edge.
After prohibited meat was found close to a temple in Shivpuri locality of Doranda on Friday night, Hindu outfits started violent demonstration, bringing the city to a halt. Rumours of communal riots and conflicts, curfew and Ranchi bandh started doing the rounds on the morning following the incident, causing the denizens of Ranchi to panic.
Internet-based messaging applications and social media, the same medium used by those behind the rumours, were used by senior police officials to counter them. Text messages from senior officials were seen on WhatsApp, urging commoners and media personnel to refrain from posting any photograph or message which creates social disturbance.
But without a hard and fast system to apprehend the miscreants or stopper the flow of messages, police force and civil society bodies were hard-pressed to negate the daunting effect of information passed through the grapevine. “Anti-social elements used messaging applications to spread pictures which would create panic among the public. The ones behind it were irresponsible and uneducated teenagers who do not care for the consequences of their actions,” stated Jai Singh Yadav, a member of the Peace Committee.
One way is to let people know the whole truth, as we are about to do now, so that they are not deceived by false information, said SSP Kumar.
He further added, “In such tense times, we appeal the public to ignore rumours if they come across them on social media, or elsewhere. Strict action is also taken against those spreading these rumours when we are able to apprehend. But sometimes, unwary people forwards rumours believing them to be actual facts, like it happened today.” “Sometimes media, in a hurry to break the news first, publishes invalid facts without verifying them. In the course of doing their jobs, they unknowingly help the spread of rumours. But it cannot be overlooked that only with the help from media and cooperation from the people can these rumours be quelled,” stated a senior police officer.
“A close watch has to be maintained on social media websites and messaging applications for any piece of information which might mar the communal harmony of the city. This is imperative in light of the oncoming festive season; communal tension of any sort will have severe consequences then,” said Arun Kumar Jha, another member of the Peace Committee.