Let’s use brains when our actions have potential to harm

Cops were present on site on Monday morning. Pic/Hanif Patel

With some incidents still on in Mira Road and tension simmering, it is important to pay heed to the police appeal of not putting a spark to what is still a powder keg that can explode.

There was some violence between Hindus and Muslims on Ram Mandir Pran Prathishtha day, and there is still a palpable sense of unease in the air. That is why the cops have appealed to people not to exacerbate the situation by sharing videos on social media and more importantly sharing unverified information.

Several videos are whirring of Monday, January 22 and the problems. These do nothing to help the current predicament. In fact, they alarm and they cause anger.

Many social media group participants claim they share these videos to warn others, or bring awareness but there are the cops to warn us against any untoward incident.

Many of these videos then have participants making judgements, passing comments, asking about arrests, questioning action - the list is long. Ominous commentary in the background about being careful or what is going to happen next and what these newly crowned clairvoyants claim is going to happen next.

Shut down these videos going around on groups. If one cannot, do not react and wait for official versions to emerge. Do not react or start a verbal war about comments, as this is not necessary. Remember these actions have the potential to create great harm and through a chain of events can prove fatal in extreme cases.

Spare a thought for our men and women in uniform who have to control mobs. Our police personnel have families waiting for them to come home at the end of the day. One cannot impress enough the values of restraint and responsibility, as another landmark date - Republic Day is celebrated today.