Written by: AK
“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” ― Mark Twain
In this digital and information era, for any nincompoop with a smart phone, internet connection and of course, gullible audience who dance to their tunes, it’s easy to create, share and spread lies, hate speeches and false propaganda. They use this to malign an individual or an institution.
I came across one such utterly false propaganda by vested interests. This article disturbs the communal harmony, the quintessential “Ganga-Jamuna” Tehzeeb of Telangana. Websites like this dedicate far more time and resources to propagating questionable and often false claims.
Link: http://www.opindia.com/2017/02/telangana-govt-to-provide-financial-assistance-to-non-hindu-drivers-in-partnership-with-uber/
A similar photograph was shared on the Facebook page ShankhNaad:
The website op India has written:
“Now in what appears to be a bid to weaken this strike by cab drivers, the State Minority Finance Corporation has started what it calls a ‘driver empowerment program’. Under this scheme, drivers of non-Hindu communities will be given financial assistance to own cars, which will get business from Uber.”
The above lines are lucrative enough for a blind bhakt with a pea sized brain and IQ level of a toddler to create nuisance.
Unfortunately, due to the curse of the internet age, lies spread faster than truth. A study by Cornell University says. ” We find that, in the aggregate, the sharing of fact-checking content typically lags that of misinformation by 10-20 hours.
Moreover, fake news are dominated by very active users, while fact checking is a more grass-roots activity.”
Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.01511
Now, let’s get to the facts:
Fact-1: The website has mentioned that the “State Minority Finance Commission” has started “Driver Empowerment Program” scheme.
The Government of Telangana, has not come up with any scheme whatsoever, that provides financial assistance to “Non-Hindu” communities as claimed by the website. It would be great if the website or Facebook page had shared a government order, or gazette notification or official source of information to validate this. They did not do it and can’t do it too, because there is no such scheme exclusive for “Non Hindu” communities.
Fact-2: There was an “Economic support scheme for self employment” for SC, ST, BC, Minority as well as EBC before formation of the state of Telangana. The Hon’ble CM of Telangana, Sri KCR and ministers have reviewed it and some amount has been allocated for the same.
Please see this youtube video link in which the CM speaks about it:
Fact-3: “Driver Empowerment Program” is also a part of this scheme. This scheme is for downtrodden people of Telangana, irrespective of religion. The same can be seen in the registration page.
Fact-4: Moreover, the government website has also given details of “District wise Driver Empowerment Program Registration Report”
Link: http://tsobmms.cgg.gov.in/driverEmpowermentProgrammeReport.do
We can see that it has received registrations from SC, ST, BC, Muslim as well as Christians.
How are State Minority Finance Commissions formed and what are their roles and responsibilities?
Fact-1: According to the website of National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation: “The National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) was incorporated on 30th September 1994, as a company not for profit, under Section 25 of the Companies Act 1956. It is a National Level Apex Body for the benefit of Minorities as defined under the National Commission for Minorities Act 1992. The prime mandate of NMDFC is to provide concessional finance to the Minorities for self employment/ income generation activities. As per the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, the notified Minorities are Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists & Parsis. Subsequently, Jain community was also added into the list of notified Minority Communities in January 2014.”
Link: http://www.nmdfc.org/index1.aspx?lsid=59&lev=2&lid=32&langid=1
Fact-2: As a part of NMDFC, in order to transfer the benefits to every state in India, the states need to mandatorily appoint a “State Channelizing Agency”. The agency is also called as “State Minority Finance Corporation” they also need to contribute to the
equity of NMDFC.
Link: http://www.nmdfc.org//admnis/admin/showimg.aspx?ID=835
Share of each State/UT Governments in the equity of NMDFC has been earmarked in proportion to its population of minorities. The information of earmarked share and the contribution received by 31/05/2016 is as given here:
Link: http://www.nmdfc.org//admnis/admin/showimg.aspx?ID=836
Fact-3: Please read this point carefully. The NMDFC has thus come up with different schemes for individual beneficiaries, which are to be implemented by SCA (State Channelizing Agency) or the State Minority Finance Corporation.
Assistance under Term Loan Scheme is available for any commercially viable and technically feasible venture, which for the purpose of convenience, are classified into the following sectors:
- Agriculture & allied
- Technical trades
- Small business
- Artisan and traditional occupations, and
- Transport and services sector
Link: http://www.nmdfc.org/index1.aspx?lsid=70&lev=3&lid=43&langid=1
Fact-4: The NMDFC allocates funds to all the states that have established SCA. The following is the ratio of fund disbursed to respective States vis-a-vis the ratio of their minority population:
Link: http://www.nmdfc.org//admnis/admin/showimg.aspx?ID=854
So, as per the guidelines of NMDFC, the erstwhile APSMFC (Andhra Pradesh State Minority Finance Corporation) was formed.
After the formation of state of Telangana, it has now changed to TSMFC.
Very Interesting Facts:
Dear bhakts, please be prepared with loads of Antacid and Burnol. Dear bhakts, for your information, as per the directives of NMDFC, all the SFMC’s have to implement lending schemes for “Minorities” to buy cabs as well as other schemes in their respective states. I am giving examples of few of them here for your reference.
1. Andhra Pradesh: http://www.apsmfc.com/BANKABLE%20SCHEME.pdf
2. Rajasthan: http://minority.rajasthan.gov.in/rmfdcc/RMFDCC_Lending_Schemes.aspx
3. Maharashtra: http://www.mamfdc.org/Micro_Finance.html
4. Madhya Pradesh: http://www.mpbcmfdc.nic.in/schemes.html
So, it is evident that the information posted in the opindia website and Facebook page is nothing but deliberate attempt to malign the integrity and credibility of the state of Telangana. Both of them need to immediately bring down the fake articles with an apology note. Failing which, I would request the state government to initiate legal action on them, including huge penalty for defaming.
An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.
Beyond preconceived notions, beliefs, perceptions and propaganda lies the truth.