Indian Consul for Press, Information & Culture Dr. Irshad Ahmad speaks at the launching ceremony of the Jeddah Social Media Forum at Sharafiyah Impala Garden on Friday. — Courtesy photo

 

Hassan Cheruppa

Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH — Indian Consul for Press, Information & Culture Dr. Irshad Ahmad underscored the need for effective use of the social media for the betterment of society and nation.



He also called for taking utmost vigil and wariness while using the new media and guard the younger generation from the far reaching consequences of its misuse.



Ahmad made the remarks while inaugurating the launching ceremony of the Jeddah Social Media Forum (JSMF), a new platform for active users of social media in the city. 



Highlighting the powerful influence of the new media in the society, Ahmad said it is high time to educate all sections of people about the effective, responsible and constructive use of this media and save the society from its dangers and disadvantages.



“The society has highly benefited from this media but got dented and damaged very badly at the same time. Its misuse has resulted in misunderstanding, suspicion, depression, suicidal thinking, disintegration of families, cheating, blackmailing, spreading of rumors, brain washing of the innocent and so on.”



“It has become incumbent upon all of us to address the matter by its roots; to look into its pros and cons; to discuss its use and abuse and to debate its merits and demerits.” 



He said that social media shall be utilized for disseminating the values of humanity, tolerance and amity among the members of the society. “It shall be used to boost development, fostering brotherhood, and national security and integration.



As social media has become part and parcel of the society, nobody could either avoid it or live without it,” he said while urging the society to take joint efforts to fight its demerits.



The forum president, Usman Iringatteeri, presided over the function in which its Chairman K.T. Aboobacker explained major objectives of the organization. Unveiling the organization’s vision and mission, Iringatteeri said the forum’s first and foremost priority is to enable the society to benefit from the advantages of social media and help it to ward off its evils.



Aboobacker said the sole purpose of the forum is to create awareness among Indian expatriate community about the importance of effective, constructive and responsible use of social media, in addition to promoting the ideals of brotherhood, tolerance, cross cultural understanding, and peaceful coexistence in a predominantly pluralist society.



“We will focus on using this media to promote virtues, especially consolidating the bonds of communal amity and cohesion among members of the society, besides lending a helping hand in warding off most of the demerits of the new media” he said.   



Several local media figures spoke on the occasion, sharing their views on the missions and challenges of the print and visual media in the changed digital era of the new media.



They included P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Hassan Cheruppa, C.O.T. Azeez, C.K. Shakir, Moosakutty Vettikkattiri, Sulfeekar Othai, and Sadikali Thuvvur.  Well known blogger Basheer Vallikkunnu spoke about the successful new initiatives of social media in the contemporary world.



Referring to the massive influence of social media, he said that the new media was instrumental in changing the entire scenario in the field of communications with a new dictum of “Survival of the fastest.”



“The world’s population recorded an annual growth of 1.8 percent while the growth in the number of Internet users posted at 11 percent, reaching their number to over three billion,” he said and cited several examples for the new media initiatives.



Dr. Ismail Maritheri of King Abdulaziz University summed up the discussion with a call to make the new media a strong weapon for social change and wary of being misused for anti social purposes.



Noted Toastmaster K.M. Ramesh Menon of Emirates Airline, in his felicitation speech, highlighted the social commitment of the new media. The function came to a close with a memorable Gazal night, in which well-known singers of the city, including Sayyid Mashhoud Thangal, Jamal Pasha, and Mansour Feroke enthralled the audience. Forum General Secretary Lathief Nellichode and Murtada were the anchors.