The budget session in Bihar assembly was rocked while the TN industries almost went to their knees. And for all this to happen, it costed just a doctored video. The head of two states had to be involved and officials from both states had to travel back and forth to reassure that the situation was normal. Such an incident would have involved several hours of planning and a huge amount of money, but today all that was needed, was a small 10×10 room on rent and a mobile phone. This highlights two major things: the power of social media and the importance of migrant workers to Tamil Nadu.
The power of social media
It has been discussed much and above about the powers that social media wields. The harms seem to outweigh the goods and perhaps time has come to curtail it.
In another separate incident in Tamil Nadu, two rival gangs in their early 20s had used social media to trigger each other by posing with deadly weapons. This has led to a sort of gang war claiming lives. The police kept a close watch on the social media profiles and arrested close to 56 youths.
This is not a lone case. The election of Donald Trump as President has been proved possible using a simple questionnaire on social media that helped to judge and influence one’s own view.
The Netflix documentary, ‘Social Dilemma’ explains in detail, how social media’s design, nurtures addiction to maximise profit. It is designed with innate properties to manipulate people’s views, emotions and behaviour and at the same time spread conspiracy theories and disinformation. For a system built on everything wrong, nothing good can be expected out of it. Unless strong laws are drafted to regulate, what has threatened two states, will not take time to terrorise nations.
Migrant workers or families?
Tamil Nadu is a highly industrialised and educated state. This leaves several starter level jobs unfilled. Thanks to workers from Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam and the other states, these gaps have been filled. The doctored video of these migrant labourers being attacked, sent them all back in hordes. Until the states intervened and clarified, it was almost a week of work halted. For a growing state like Tamil Nadu there is need of about 50 lakh workers and such incidents have to be nipped at the bud.
At the CII- TN State Annual Meeting, T T Ashok, Managing Director Taylor Rubber Ltd, pointed to look at them as 50 lakh families rather than workers. He urged the state to look at building facilities to house them. This would create a much peaceful atmosphere.
Currently, workers just tend to go back to their room after work. That leaves them with lot of time in hand and eventually the opportunity to watch and share such videos. T T Ashok suggested that the employing companies should encourage the workers to take part in societal activities during their off times. This would provide them with the opportunity to mingle with the society and get a feel of it.
Tamil Nadu has always prided on being an inclusive state. In the past, people from Rajasthan, Saurashtra, and other parts have settled down and integrated well within the society. Such a similar option must be extended to these workers too.
Nice article