As the fake news factories have been growing across the region despite strictness of the highest level being shown by the Centre against this scourge, it becomes imperative that J&K administration should also come out with its own exclusive fact check platform to make sure that no entity could mislead masses in the Union Territory.
There is no doubt that already there are many fact check websites and portals including those belonging to the Government of India, like the one running under the ambit of PIB, but then also for specific nature of fake news, the J&K government should start an exercise to bring to fore online facility for fact check to eliminate the scope of unscrupulous elements creating unrest or any other disturbance misusing the sturdy digital platforms better known as social media platforms.
Broadly taking an overview, propaganda, misinformation and fake news have the potential to polarize public opinion, promote violent extremism and hate speech, and ultimately, to undermine democracies and reduce trust in the democratic processes.
Therefore for a place like J&K, which is still sodden with terrorism, separatism and many other issues, it becomes utmost necessary that no channel is left unattended to allow it to change the narratives in the region because there are so many forces (overt and covert) working in the Union Territory to rejuvenate terrorism.
Seizing the content reaching the society is vital in case of J&K because bogus and fabricated content shared on social media platforms and even through other sources can act as spoilsport because it has the potential to undo the achievements made by the dispensation in the recent past.
A weak fact check network is not acceptable in J&K therefore the people sitting at helm should show no lethargy and start working on the aforesaid projects to create an edifice which can have complete surveillance over the things happening in the digital world in real time basis and also to provide the people the facility of fact check so that no entity could hoodwink people as was the case in the past when people used to believe what was fed in the social media platforms from different sources including the anti-India ones.
