Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, who is using Twitter to amply Covid-related requests, said he would refrain from sharing phone numbers of women.
In the last few weeks, India has seen an unprecedented rise in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country. As India became the second worst-hit country in the world, government departments and healthcare services were found buckling under the surging caseload.
An acute shortage of resources including hospital beds, oxygen and COVID-19 medicines is being reported in various states. In such circumstances, social media apps were used as platforms to amplify the requirements of ailing citizens and their families. Several posts about requests for help and resources on Twitter and Instagram included the contact details of the people making the requests, so as to enable quick communication.
While the mechanism served its purposes in many cases, for some Indian women who shared their number on social media, things took an ugly turn. Many who shared their contact details on Instagram were met with vulgar and inappropriate messages as well as calls.
One such instance was reported by Mumbai resident Shasvathi Siva who had appealed on Twitter for help for her family members who had tested positive for COVID-19. Ms Siva shared her number on social media for want of a blood plasma donor for a sick family member.
Explaining what happened next, she wrote in a tweet, "Been looking for plasma donors, and my no has been around in some groups + stories. I've fielded calls from men asking me if I'm single, if I can share photos, my dp is nice etc, and 1 "friend" who said he'd help if 'at least now you go on a date with me'. Some men are DISGUSTING."
She followed this up with another message that said that she had now begun to receive graphic images from some men. "I thought it wouldn't get worse, but since this morning, I've received (on WhatsApp) 3 d**k pics, and 7 men trying to video call me continuously. Even in a medical emergency, men think only with their genitals."
Warning women to not share their contact information on social media, she added, "Women: NEVER, EVER let your number out in public forums."
Source:NDTV