Over the past two days, migrant workers in different parts of Kerala have been receiving fake messages about transportation being arranged for them to travel back home.
The Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) has been quick to react to this, spreading messages in six languages to reassure the workers, in WhatsApp groups and directly at their shelters.
What enabled this quick response was the KSSP’s vast network of WhatsApp groups, at least one each in every panchayat, titled ‘Coveto – veto to Covid’, that have been formed over the past few weeks to disseminate accurate information on COVID-19 and to dispel fake messages.
“People get a lot of information on WhatsApp, but 75% of it is false, which a layperson cannot identify easily. We formed a campaign cell with doctors and public health experts, who prepare the core material to be spread. Videos, audio, posters and small write-ups on government directions, simplified scientific information on the virus, precautions to be taken, the importance of the lockdown and such issues are sent to the district-level groups and from there to the local body level. In these local-level groups, we have members from various political parties, Kudumbashree and ASHA workers and others who regularly interact with the public. They spread this to their WhatsApp groups and speak about it to those whom they meet,” says K. Radhan, State general secretary of the KSSP, a people’s science movement started close to 60 years ago.
The team of doctors include State Planning Board member B. Ekbal, K.P. Aravindan, A.K. Jayashree and others. They have published messages busting fake information like how coronavirus would die at high temperatures or that it cannot survive on surfaces beyond a day. Post the lockdown, the messages have been reoriented to address psychological issues faced by people forced to stay indoors.
For children, they have devised interesting competitions like identifying the bird from a short sound clip of its chirping and a drawing competition for various ages. For the adults, the KSSP has released a small list of physical exercises that can be taken up to maintain fitness during the lockdown. Also continuing are the ongoing campaigns on handwashing, social distancing, the need to take special care of the old who are afflicted with other serious diseases.
