G20 podium
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “uprooting” all forms of Naxalism, whether “with guns or pens”, to prevent such people from “misleading the country’s youth” combines a mature statesman’s idealism and pragmatism.
The exhortation came during his address at the recent ‘Chintan Shivir’ of state Home Ministers held in Haryana’s Surajkund. His target was not confined to the stray group of self-styled Maoists challenging the Indian state from within but all forms of terrorists and insurgents operating from across the border.
In a way, PM Modi expanded Chinese communist leader Mao Tse Tung’s dictum that political power flowed from the barrel of the gun, by underlining the power of the pen also.
Warning about forces increasing their intellectual sphere to push the youth towards extremism and pervert the minds of coming generations, the PM said every form of Naxalism, be it the one with guns or the one with pens, has to be uprooted. “Bandook wala bhi hai aur kalam wala bhi hai … Naxalwaad (There is Naxalism linked to gun, and that linked to the pen).”
He noted that some of these groups received international help while attributing a more determined fight against terrorism to stronger laws, including the UAPA, brought by his Government. “India cannot allow any such forces to flourish in our country,” he said. Spreading fake news to serve their nefarious ends was a favourite pastime of such anti-national groups.
As PM Modi pointed out, a single piece of fake news could snowball into a matter of national concern. This had been demonstrated by the tremendous loss of life and property India suffered due to the circulation of fake news on social media about job reservations in the past.
Unless checked, such fake news could lead to increasing differences between communities and can hamper thought processes. It can lead to huge damage in coming years.
“We have to keep educating people. Any information they come across, they should think 100 times before forwarding it. There are always ways to verify things. If you keep browsing, you would know,” the Prime Minister said, adding that, “We have to raise a technological barrier to stop the flow of fake news.
Referring to the introduction of 5G technology, the Prime Minister said while it would bring benefits, one should also be aware of the challenges and emphasised that there is a need for a heightened alert.
“We have to develop technological advancement to prevent the spreading of fake news,” PM Modi said, advocating “smart technology for a smarter law and order system”
