TURA: What started as a brief note on social media alerting readers about the amassing of dozens of trucks loaded with illegal coal in a forest in West Khasi Hills’ Malangkona region finally led to the unravelling of a massive clandestine operation to smuggle out coal into Assam by the mafia.
While police in West Khasi Hills district was lauded for the quick response and confiscation of the coal trucks inside Werang forest, 5 kms from Malangkona, what was missing from the public spotlight were the efforts of social media bloggers from the surrounding villages, particularly those operating Whatsapp and Facebook, who actively kept a watch and trailed the convoy giving minute by minute details of the clandestine operation taking place in that remote region where police presence is virtually non-existent.
“From the time the first trucks loaded with coal began arriving via Riangdo and started parking at Werang forest, villagers were constantly briefing us about the situation. We in turn kept updating the story on social media which alerted many people,” recalled a blogger who, preferring to remain anonymous, happened to be one of the first to raise the alarm.
Once the story was broken, media outlets, including The Shillong Times quickly picked it up and gave it wide publicity.
The amassing of the coal laden trucks became prime story for many social media activists many of whom forwarded the link to elected legislators.
By Thursday morning the results of this unique coordination could be seen as police teams landed at Werang village to find 83 coal laden trucks parked along the jungle road. The drivers had by then fled from the scene.
This success story has given bloggers and social media activists vast opportunities to play a crucial and positive role in bringing to the fore issuing affecting the state and its people.