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Kashmir: SOS appeals on social media generate crores of rupees for people
Shabir Ahmad Shah’s appeal went viral on social media and people from different parts of Kashmir Valley deposited the money in his account within a day.
Last week, Rs 27 lakh was deposited in the bank account of a man who made a fervent appeal for help in a video, saying he had lost his job because of the Covid-19 lockdown and his family was near starvation.
Shabir Ahmad Shah, a 35-year-old from Vilgam village in Kupwara who now lives in rented accommodation in the old quarters of Srinagar, appeared in the video with his three young children and his wife. His appeal went viral on social media and people from different parts of Kashmir Valley deposited the money in his account within a day.
The very next day another video circulated on social media, in which a man, who identified himself as the head of a voluntary organisation, described Shah’s appeal as fabricated and said several groups had already helped the family by providing food kits.
The man criticised Shah for fooling people and asked others to never directly donate money into the bank accounts of persons making such appeals. He also said Shah owned a vehicle.
The head of the voluntary organisation said people should instead give money to reputed NGOs. “The person has lied. He was helped by various organisations. People should never trust these videos,” said the man who declined to be named.
This is not a new phenomenon in Kashmir. Similar appeals have generated crores of rupees for people, mostly patients suffering from life-threatening diseases.
Not only Shah, but the people who posted or shared his video were criticised by many netizens, mostly those having a soft corner for NGOs or voluntarily organisations. Many people on social media described Shah’s actions as a scam and sought action against him and others who made such “emotional videos”.
The matter even reached the court, when an advocate filed a complaint that prompted the chief judicial magistrate of Srinagar to order an investigation through the police station at Hawal.
“In order to ascertain the truthfulness or otherwise, I deem it proper to get complaint investigated through SHO police station concerned u/s 202 CrPC,” the court’s order stated.
Javeed Ahmad, who works with a prominent NGO, said people shouldn’t get emotional about such ploys to seek donations. “Rather, people should leave this job to local groups which follow proper mechanisms and then make appeals,” he said.
However, some people defended Shah and his family and described his appeal as genuine. “When the NGOs saw a number of people helping him, it seems they got frustrated. Having debit of Rs 50000, staying at rented accommodation for months now, without work are good signs of being poor. Rest I believe public is best judge,” Mir Suhail posted on social media, with picture of the family that was helped by people.
