Forwarding Messages: Best or Worst?

 

Yesterday, a friend forwarded this message on WhatsApp:

“O-ve blood required urgently for a patient in M Y hospital in Raipur. Please contact on this no: +91- 98XXXXXXX6”

Now, as there was no date or time mentioned in the message. So, I asked him out of curiosity “kab chahiye? (when is it required)”

“I don’t know” he replied. “Why don’t you call and ask? The contact number is there in the message”

I knew that either this message is old or circulated by someone just for fun because it’s the 3^rd time I had received it in recent times!

When I told him this, he was adamant that its impossible that the message is fake or old, because he just received it in a family Whatsapp group, by someone he trusted. Now the funny thing is that as far as I know, there is no M Y hospital in Raipur. M Y hospital is in Indore and is one of the biggest one in Madhya Pradesh. I asked him that there is no MY hospital in Raipur, but he insisted that there is one.

Seeing his confidence, I thought maybe he is right, and I called that number but no one received. I tried many times and finally someone answered on the other end.

“Do you have a requirement of blood?” I asked. He replied, “Yes, I wanted blood for my ailing mother, not now, but 4 months ago when she was battling cancer. She couldn’t survive her illness and passed away. I still receive 3-4 calls every week asking about the same. With each call, the painful memory of my ailing mother flashes back. Now I am considering to change my phone number itself.” I was numb. “I am sorry” I apologized and ended the call.

After the call, I confronted my friend and told him the conversation, he simply laughed it off saying “are maine to sirf forward kiya tha, ye soch ke ki kisi ka bhala hoga (I had just forwarded thinking that it might help someone)”

Now, although, he might have had the noble intention of helping someone he didn’t find it necessary to confirm before forwarding. And guess what, that person was just about to change his number because of such forwards.

This incident left me thinking, that all those people who forwarded that message, or called that number for helping; they did so with noblest of intentions. But did they help? On the contrary, they all made the life of that person hell because the calls didn’t let him overcome the sorrow of losing his mother. I don’t blame those who called, because they may have called hoping to actually help someone in need. But what about the chain of forwarders? Why did they forward? With the same intention of helping maybe. Or maybe they wanted to gain some punya (goodness) out of it. But is intention enough sufficient to help someone or to get punya?

If, the early forwarders of message would have cared to confirm before forwarding, the person would have received very few calls and he would not have been troubled. But no, why would they, calling and confirming is such a herculean task after all! Each mindless forward multiplied the pain of that person to the extent that he is compelled to change his phone number.

There are two lesson for all of us in this:

1^st lesson: Never send such type of “call for help” messages with incomplete details.

2^nd lesson: Never forward, without confirming. If you cannot confirm, at least mention it while forwarding that I have not confirmed it.

Questioning is the core aspect of a scientific mind. Did you know that Indian constitution not just encourages but considers development of scientific temper as a fundamental duty of every Indian citizen?

Article 51A(h) of the constitution clearly states that:

[It shall be the duty of every citizen of India] To develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.

So, as a citizen of India its our DUTY to develop and promote scientific thinking. Dying for the country is not the only way to prove your patriotism. Living by and abiding the spirit of constitution is another.

 

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