The uncorroborated information that a bomb attack on a mosque in Akurana, Kandy, was possible, spread like wildfire on the night of Tuesday (18) and in the early hours of yesterday (19). While reports claim that the said information was first received by the Police, who had subsequently conveyed the same to the Akurana Police Station, it had become a breaking news item among Akurana residents within hours, although its veracity remained unclear.
The fact that the Police conveyed the said information to the relevant Police Station without delay was the best course of action that could have been taken given the urgency and the gravity of the alleged threat. It is understandable that time was of the essence, and that it was, at that moment, necessary to apprise Akurana residents of the alleged attack in order to keep them prepared. However, there are concerns as to whether the Police employed the most prudent approach as far as the sensitive nature of that information as well as the obvious reaction from the public are concerned. Reports received by The Daily Morning claimed that following the Police’s warning, Akurana residents remained in a state of anxiety throughout the night and that they shared the said uncorroborated and incomplete information with their contacts.
As a country that has dealt with the bitter consequences of extremist attacks and conflicts on several occasions during the past few decades, such information is of utmost importance and concern. Needless to say, in a context where the most recent such attack, i.e. the 2021 Easter Sunday bomb attacks on Catholic churches and leading hotels which was attributed to Islamist extremists, even uncorroborated information about a possible attack on mosques is taken seriously without a second thought. However, even though an initial warning had been issued almost immediately, the issuance of an official statement, or a warning, by the responsible law enforcement authorities took longer than it should have taken. Despite the fact that the Police received information about the alleged attack on the night of Tuesday,the official statement was issued only yesterday morning.
Information plays an extremely important role in analysing how information regarding the alleged attack was disseminated. Although the Police waited till last morning to release an official statement, the unconfirmed information that Akurana residents had received had spread way faster than that. This begs the question as to whether the Police, as a service provider that operates 24 hours of the day and is directly responsible for public safety, should have taken more informed steps than merely informing the residents of the area in order to alleviate irrational fears. This is particularly important due to the fact that all that the public had to respond to with regard to the alleged attack was the unconfirmed news. Issuing a press release, posting a social media post, or disseminating confirmed information through the Police’s existing mobile based communication networks are not at all time-consuming or complicated tasks. At the same time, in this day and age, such simple use of digital media should not be a difficult task, especially when the Police has a media unit and when the matter at hand concerns the lives of many. Had the Police’s official statement been issued in such a prompt manner, the tense situation that emerged among the residents of the area could have been prevented.
That is why this incident should be considered by the Police as an opportunity to learn and grow. In the future, the use of digital technology should be promoted within the Police and among other entities that the Police deal with. Although the Police could wait till it is convenient for them to look into a matter and update the public on the same, the public cannot when it is their lives that are at stake.