In the modern world, democracy is undoubtedly the most important part of country, but what makes work of government difficult is the increasing misuse of social media.
In an Interview with Ajeet G. Parse, a social media analyst, shared his views on how one can use social media for a better cause.
Democracy involves people participation and for that, we have four pillars of democracy. These four pillars of democracy are:
Legislative: Legislative pillar basically is responsible for making laws that will govern a state .
Executive: This pillar of democracy is responsible for implementing the laws formed by Legislative section, and issue orders for their proper implementation. Executive section is selected on the basis of election system, spoil system or merit system or a mixture of above.
Judiciary: It is again very important pillar of democracy and it keeps a check on laws (given by legislative) and orders (issued by executive) and ensures that these laws and orders do not curtail the fundamental rights of citizens of a country.
Media: This pillar of democracy ensures all people living in far off areas of country are aware of what’s happening in rest part of it. It ensures the transparency in the working of all the above three systems.
There are more than 2.8 billion social media users worldwide. This means that over a third of the world’s population is using some form of social media to communicate; making social media impacts an imperative tactic for boosting leads for propaganda programs.
How has social media changed society and what does this mean for higher propaganda programs?
Although social media has its advantages, the platform had also been subjected to abuse and misuse by unscrupulous people to settle scores, damage reputations of individuals and organizations and also the image of journalism as a profession.
Even though the new media posed great challenges to the traditional media, the competition poised by the new media should be an opportunity for the traditional/conventional media to re-strategies and focus on harness more opportunity, stressing that traditional and new media must work in complementary fashion.
What are the current challenges in preserving democracy?
The current challenge to preserve fabric of democracy in India is a huge hardcore task. To maintain strong trust worthiness on democracy for every civilian. To increase social bonding amongst different hierarchy of society. To insure or to maintain value and creditability for every socio political organization, this is the most dangerous task to be maintained and performed .To prevent anti social Movements which spoils social fabric in society. To prevent and control anti national rumors for law enforcing agencies. To create 100% transparency for elected representatives by people from Panchayat to Parliament. To strengthen Socio Economic network amongst Government to people means Total Control on Corruption.
What is the most challenging part for democracy?
The most innovative challenge for democracy is Urban Naxalism, the process in some institutes like Cultural study centres, Film industries and media etc. people having same ideology with Naxals are spreading their propaganda and creating an environment in support of Naxalite or recruiting them in camps is called Urban Naxalism. Mind well, this is more danger than Naxals.
What is the term ‘Urban Naxals’?
What comes to your mind when you hear terms like ‘human rights activist’, ‘professor’, ’intellectual’, and ‘poet’? Don’t these terms usually evoke a sense of respect and nobility? But what if, these labels are being used by some anti-national elements to describe themselves, while actively working towards the destruction of democracy in India? Don’t these labels provide the best cover for them, while carrying out their sinister activities, without arousing suspicion? We now have a term for such kind of people – Urban Naxals.
A gentlemen’s war was once fought at a meeting on the battlefield, standing face-to-face and barrel-to-barrel, as each soldier was shot down one by one. Where the victor was decided either by surrender, retreat, or whoever had the lowest body count at the battle’s end. Since then there has been an evolution of war. No longer is a war fought standing in a lineup while staring into the barrel of an opponent’s gun, it’s fought in the air, on the ground, online, and in the hearts of the world’s most vulnerable. Many anti national communities has fundamentally transformed the definition of war, as its army recruits SMWFMD (SOCIAL MEDIA WARRIERS FOR MASS DISTRUCTION) around the globe without even stepping outside its region of origin through the use of social media, the latest, most dangerous weapon of mass destruction – a weapon unlike any the world has ever seen are using the tool much like a biological weapon, poisoning the system within, picking off the world’s population slowly and painfully. These soldiers were and are willing to kill, destroy, and even die for their newfound power and purpose.
How can one fight with it?
Well, this is a new kind of war. It cannot be fought and won simply by using past strategies. Not only do we need boots on the ground in region, we have to meet our foe – radical war – on the digital battlefield and win back the hearts and minds of this new brand of soldier, to destroy this new brand of enemy.
They are not using their Gun, Bombs or AK47’s but they are using Pen, Mikes and Films to spread their propaganda. Urban Naxal and their centers are generally ‘intellectual’ platforms like Institute, Media and Bollywood , where naxalite ideas can be transferred. We should be aware of these activities. So Intellectual Naxalism amongst youth is again a big challenge here for Indian society. Another hardbend challenge for society is to deviate any social Movement from its core objective. Maintaining trustworthiness on Indian Judiciary System at the same time is a national priority.
Social Media should not act as a Judge itself over any event. As a latest example, How a Central Minister compel to resign from Union Cabinet before any allegations are proved in front of Judiciary System? Another proven act of Social Media Attack is “Patel Movement Episode “ in Gujarat which was Drafted & Crafted on Social Media by Cambridge Analytica , an foreign institution rolling on social movements in India. These results proved that foreign destructive elements can successfully workout their anti national agenda in Indian Society with the lethal and coral weapon termed as Social Media. These incidences are most dangerous call for all our public representatives from Panchayat to Parliament & it can turn social sensitivity regarding public representative in elections. People have started accepting judgments by social media before any Judicial or Legislative verification or decision. It’s really a scary, hard task challenging situation for Judicial or Legislative authorities onwards.
How can we use social media for a better purpose?
Social Media should act as a lethal weapon for Distressed, poor and needy people and at same time it should ignite responsible emotional fire in society for any sensitive issue or task , but it must not act as Forest Fire which is uncontrollable and cutting social fabric . Merits of Social Media which cannot be challenged are, there is no struggle or target for Social media to raise better TRP score sheets like other visual media rather than national interests. Social Media does not require any type of TRP gains. It’s a free platform from Religious Pressures, Social Pressures, Corporate pressures and certainly Marketing Pressures. But is it same with Visual Media? Certainly not. Social Media can be most powerful tool to get justice for downtrodden and neglected class in Indian society. Social Media is a Two-Way Engagement Platform. Social media the name itself tells you that it’s not about standing behind a wall (or sitting behind a screen) and shouting out a one-way message.
Social Networks/Social Media is one of the unique communications platforms that has become ubiquitous in our society. It is efficient and effective for both visual and text messaging in a band-width independent manner. It has proven to be durable and near-universal in its ubiquity among Indian community. The technology transcends socio-economic status (SES) and class. Given these attributes for a communications medium, social media/networking technology has the potential to moderate and facilitate the communications needs of a nation prior to and during national crisis situations provoked by WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction) attacks.
Your opinion?
As a Social Media Analyst, my opinion is if we want to bring transparency in democracy then all the pillars of democracy should be secured by Social Media, then only Social Media would be considered as fifth pillar of democracy. Social Media should not impure by any particular colour of society; it is like water … How? It’s free from any kind of pressure but it can easily mix up with any colour of society. So need to maintain its purity like water then only it will be use for drinking purpose! That’s my main object ….We have to keep it pure , divine and only to be mix up with our Tiranga , otherwise it will be harmful for our democratic structure ! It is aptly said that whatever you play with, it is better you don’t joke with it. When you change the way you view things, you change the things you are viewing. The advent of social media is not without some of its challenges and opportunities but the responsibility on shoulders of practitioners to ensure its proper use to get the best results.
By Abhishek Tiwari
