There are days when my WhatsApp resembles a full-time fiction publishing house.

Every few minutes another dramatic story arrives. Every one begins with “This happened today,” “Must read,” or “Forward this before they delete it.” If I believed every one of them, I would think our country has become a land where miracles happen every half hour.

The latest masterpiece was about a passenger who suddenly fell ill while travelling on a train. According to the message, the ticket examiner immediately informed the next station, where a doctor and medicines were waiting to save the passenger’s life. The writer then proudly announced that this wonderful facility had been introduced by the present government, proving once again how caring and efficient it was.

The only problem was that it wasn’t true.

Not the part about the passenger receiving help. That certainly happens and has saved many lives. The fiction was the claim that this was some brand new revolutionary idea.

A little research showed that Indian Railways has been providing emergency medical assistance to sick passengers for decades. Railway staff have long been authorised to alert the next station, arrange doctors, ambulances and medical aid whenever possible. Thousands of passengers have benefited from this service over the years. It is something the Railways deserve genuine praise for, but not because it was invented yesterday.

That is what worries me.

When people begin digging up old rules and polishing them until they look brand new, or circulate stories that are only half true, they are not strengthening confidence. They are revealing insecurity.

People who are secure usually point to facts. People who become nervous often begin manufacturing stories.

It reminds me of a cricket batsman on a sticky wicket. The ball is turning, the fielders are closing in, and suddenly he starts swinging wildly, hoping something will connect. That is exactly what these endless WhatsApp forwards feel like. Every day another spectacular claim. Every week another miracle. Every month another piece of history rewritten.

The saddest part is that many well meaning uncles and aunties forward these messages without checking a single fact. They are convinced that pressing the Forward button is now a patriotic duty.

It isn’t.

Real achievements deserve applause. False achievements only damage credibility. Governments come and governments go, but truth has a habit of quietly surviving every election.

So the next time you receive one of those breathless messages announcing yet another unbelievable discovery, pause for a moment before forwarding it.

And to my dear Forwarder Uncle, remember this. Truth never needs a chain message to stay alive, but falsehood, does…!

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