A WhatsApp warrior was chatting and forwarding a lot in the group on non-issues and irrelevant content. When the admin asked WHY, prompt came the reply. ‘Social media is just for making your presence felt. For that you need to MAKE NOISE, that’s all’. And of late it has become so easy to nudge. Yeah, you guessed it right. You have ChatGPT or any other AI tool handy.  Artificial Intelligence has created revolution, may it be genuine or concocted. Future of AI regime appears daunting. This apart, if used in social media rationally, it can bring a change. In social media, voice is important, not noise. Here I am examining the impact of genuine VOICE against NOISE. Let me take a real NOISE pollution incident as an example.

Recently in North Bangalore, a gas power plant was commissioned at Puttenahalli, Yelahanka on a trial basis and is expected to be operational immediately. The plant is polluting heavily and the locals are the worst affected. Besides air pollution, they expected noise pollution also. The issue of air pollution due to the power plant is not a new one, but has been there for quite some time, as the plant is situated in residential area. There is a litigation in the Supreme Court highlighting the harm done to the residents as well as the nearby bird reserve. Interestingly the bird reserve is within 500 meters of the gas power plant run by Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd (KPCL). Besides, the plant is just a stone’s throw away from many residential apartments like Heritage Estates. How can a polluting plant be situated near residential area, fumes the residents. Karnataka State Pollution Control Board asserts that the pollution level is within the set norms. Though this problem is there for more than six or seven years, people wake up (literally also) only when there is something to disturb their sleep. When residents spent sleepless night due to huge noise from the plant in the first week of March 24, nothing could stop the people from organizing a protest. Within 3 days, 1000 members joined the WhatsApp group, followed by a surge of myriad messages. Noise pollution has exceeded the permissible decibels, fume the residents. The organisers, planned a peaceful protest on 10.3.24. Sensing trouble, Police disallowed the protest and issued notices to the organisers/ admins, warning arrests. Some admins were changed and some murmurs in the group were also heard. Finally, the organisers called off the proposed peaceful protest. Further efforts are on, it appears

The noise pollution from the plant triggered people’s voice and ended in social media noise. A WhatsApp group is a ‘free for all’ platform, which tends to see knee jerk reactions and quick-fix solutions, including some bizarre mind voices too. Bengalurians would not have forgotten the recent Sankey protest for saving a lake and trees that ended with charge sheets to each and every protester. In an era of technology and changing lifestyle, it is not that easy to successfully stage even a peaceful protest. There are many game spoilers for a genuine and voluntary people’s movement. For one reason, creating noise in social media may backfire. Sometimes, vested interests and political interference may disrupt. Thirdly, the impulsive leadership in such cases may lack conviction and determination. A movement, to be successful, needs patience, sacrifice, diplomacy, consistency and dynamic leadership. Raise your voice (not noise), it counts and can be heard too. The movement will then only gain momentum.