Two friends attack each other with sticks, third captures video

Baramulla, Aug 31: A disturbing incident in the Zaloora area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district has highlighted the alarming extent to which social media obsession has overshadowed basic human values.

On Friday, three friends were playing in a field at Zaloora village in Sopore when a dispute between two of them escalated into a violent altercation.

The two youth attacked each other with sticks and one of them sustained a severe head injury and is battling for his life in a specialised hospital at Srinagar.

Shockingly, the third friend, instead of intervening to stop the fight, recorded the entire incident on his phone.

The video, now viral on social media, shows that no one else was present in the field, and the third friend made no attempt to stop the fight or seek help.

This incident has sent shockwaves across the area, with many expressing outrage over the growing trend of prioritising social media over human life.

“The onlookers are increasingly prioritising recording incidents for social media over intervening in life-threatening situations,” said Fayaz Ahmad of Baramulla.

Condemning the incident, the locals here call it a stark reflection of how deeply ingrained the need for social media validation has become, particularly among the youth.

“Fast and cheaper digitalisation has led to deep penetration of social media in our society in the last over a decade,” said Nissar Ahmad, a civil society member from Sopore. “The craze for getting likes or becoming famous on social media has turned us inhuman.”

However, Police swiftly acted and arrested the friends – the assailant and the video capturer.

However, all the three youth including the injured are juveniles.

The Police in Bamai under whose jurisdiction the incident happened after counselling the duo produced them to the Juvenile Justice Board.

“The incident is a stark reminder of how our society is moving. The parents too need to share their responsibility and talk to their kids over the increasing obsession with social media which has taken precedence over basic human values,” he said.

The incident is not an isolated one.

In several cases of mishaps, be it fire incidents or any escapade, some persons can be seen giving preference to video capturing instead of putting their efforts into resolving the issue.

In India, over 50 percent of road accident victims are believed to be saved with timely assistance, yet many lose their lives due to the public’s growing indifference.