How WhatsApp forwarded message limit to 5 chats will affect Indian political parties? - letsdiskuss
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Shayan Bhatacharya

Flight Lieutenant ( Indian Air Force) | Posted on | News-Current-Topics


How WhatsApp forwarded message limit to 5 chats will affect Indian political parties?


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Entrepreneur | Posted on


Honestly, not much. It won’t affect much.

I believe the WhatsApp forwarded message limit to five chats should be, foremost, looked for outside its political implications. It’s a perfect move to curb down the menace of anti-social elements in the society.
Letsdiskuss (Courtesy: YouTube)
In a vast majority of lynching and communal riots over the period – that wasn’t primarily initiated by political agendas – WhatsApp forwards played a major role. For those in rural areas, religion and social issues remain significantly influential factors than politics. There have been many examples where this IM app was used to amass crowd, incite hatred, exploit recipients emotionally and just trigger people. In Jharkhand, tens of people have been lynched in the past few years on the suspect of stealing babies. There are similar cases from UP.
So, the WhatsApp forwarded message limit to just five chats will have a greater social implication. People who casually forward the potentially hateful and inciting messages will find it difficult to do it now.
This, along with Section 505 of IPC, will make a very big impact. Section 505 states that those who circulate hateful messages shall be punished with up to 3 years of imprisonment.
So, again, it’s a wonderful move by WhatsApp to shape society better.
Coming to its political aspects, I don’t think it will have much impact on the Indian political parties. These people, now instead of using thousands of fake SIM cards will use lakhs and crores of it. The people who purposely spread hate, such basic restrictions are only a glitch on their way. They will continue doing that no matter what.
forward messeges (Courtesy: The Indian Feed)
Besides, Indian political parties have become too tech-savvy now. Many of them have dedicated call centers in different states to campaign and spread their propaganda. And WhatsApp is only one channel of communication. There are hundreds of other ways they communicate and reach out to the voters. Who can stop their lies and hate on those platforms?
We have Primetime every night where anchors and spokesperson spread hatred, lies and ill-demeanor against selected communities. And they do that with such prerogative and at the top of their voice. Do you really think the 5-forward restriction compares to the mass-level of propaganda that’s being spread through mainstream media in India?
General Election 2019 will go down in history for the highest number of lies and hate messages. A simple (and commendable) move to limit WhatsApp forwarded message to 5 chats will have virtually no impact. So, I am much more psyched about its societal implication over political. The latter one will always resist all changes and measures to continue on its propaganda.


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