In India, in the run up to the Big Bang experiment, many vernacular news channels created a fear psychosis among viewers, telling them that the world could come to an end.
It was perhaps one of the biggest scientific experiments in the world but in India it created hysteria, and even claimed one life.
Evidently, the world still lives on, and the hysteria generated by the media, has hit a home in Indore hard. Sixteen-year-old Chaya, allegedly, killed herself. Her family says that she was traumatised by the news that the world was coming to an end.
“She saw it on TV and started believing that everyone will die on September 10 and then she consumed pesticide,” said Bihari Lal, victim’s father.
As a matter of fact, Chaya was not alone. Many were on the verge of hysteria, glued to television sets, watching primarily Hindi and vernacular news channels from Bhopal to Bangalore.
“All the TV channels were showing that today the world is going to end because of some experiment. Many of my classmates were absent. I could not eat my meals,” said Rajwardhan, a student in Bhopal.
“We have heard that the country will be destroyed, we saw it in the paper. All my people are in Andhra. I am frightened and wish I could be with them,” said a local resident.
The law keepers say that there has to be a strict code of media conduct.
“There should be some kind of regulation that restricts the media from giving any information that promotes such fear in the public which is totally baseless,” said Sanjay Kumar, inspector general, law and order, Bhopal.
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