Shillong, Oct 16: West Shillong MLA Paul Lyngdoh has called for stronger trust and cooperation between Meghalaya and Assam amid growing online hostility over viral videos involving people from the two states, warning against a trend driven by attempts to grab public attention.
Lyngdoh said the exchange of provocative content on social media was an unhealthy trend that could be addressed only through cooperation among stakeholders from both states.
“In this age of what I had called in the House, the digital inbox that is taking place, people want to grab headlines. People want to be seen as newsmakers,” he said, referring to the growing tendency to attract attention through hate campaigns and provocative content.
He, however, pointed to positive developments in relations between the two state governments, including arrangements to accommodate vehicles from Meghalaya and Assam at their respective airports.
Lyngdoh said such cooperation should receive greater attention than isolated incidents that are amplified on social media.
“The only way out is that we build bridges of trust. If all stakeholders of Assam and Meghalaya put their heads together and know that if they cooperate rather than confront each other, they start to gain more, then only we can minimise such instances,” he said.
The remarks come amid concerns that viral videos and online campaigns targeting people from either state could deepen tensions and adversely affect Meghalaya’s tourism image.
