Facebooking in the Valley: Cop logs on to reach out

A senior Kashmir police officer plans to use Facebook as an outlet to counter separatists' arguments and misinformation.

A senior Kashmir police officer plans to use Facebook as an outlet to counter separatists' arguments and misinformation.

HT Image

Inspector general of police Shiv Murari Sahai also hopes to use the social networking site to engage with the public.

Sahai's Facebook page has nearly 1,800 friends and visitors have been posting grievances and opinions regularly.

"Please post your grievances between 8.00 pm to 9.00 pm. Post your questions and suggestions on my wall directly. It's easier to answer there," says Sahai in one of his updates.

The cop created the page during the unrest in the state that was triggered by the killing of a teenager on June 11 in Srinagar. More than 100 people have died in clashes with security forces ever since.

When Sahai saw that youths in the Valley were venting their anger against the state using the social networking site, he decided to use the tool to share information and address public concerns.

Sahai's Facebook page has had a huge impact. The web page attracts hundreds of comments everyday. Some have found it tremendously useful.