The Growing Menace Of Fake Awards
Peer Mohammad Amir Qureshi
“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” — Arnold H. Glasow
It was during one of my routine walks to procure milk from the nearby village when my phone chimed as I neared home. As I fished it out of my pocket, there was a message from one of Delhi’s well-known authors, suggesting that one has to pay for features in return for awards and to get featured on very reputed national and international websites and magazines. Not the first time—I must have received hundreds of such messages—spam, simply put—offering me some sort of recognition in lieu of a fat payment. Curiosity got the better of me, and I checked out their Instagram page which they deem which was of international repute,to my surprise, they had less than a hundred followers.I wouldn’t say that the followers of any page have a defining role in its legitimacy, but it was created recently. Each time that I found one such mail in my inbox, I would check on Google to see if it was valid. Every single time it turned out to be a scam. So who pays for these awards? It’s nothing but a racket operating on gullible people. They apparently think that Kashmiris are more susceptible to being duped than others and, therefore engage in this sort of exploitation. There are thousands of social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. They target different individuals. Every public figure, author, model, artist—anybody who has an online presence—is approached by them. They get their email and phone number and try to Benefit from it. This racket now extends to people from outside India to give the impression of international legitimacy. The fact, however bitter it may be, is that all these entities have no credibility at all. They are not any legitimate literary organizations but email spammers who look forward to deceive people.
The illusion of Prestige
Unfortunately, they get away with it most of the time. You must have come across some people posting on social media, excited to share that they had been awarded by these organizations, often oblivious that they have simply bought an award. Such awards are purchased, rather than earned; no element of merit therein lies. The persons who fall prey are mostly ignorant who become victims of such schemes, often out of ignorance and insatiable succumbing to the whims of fame. Their yearning for accolades and recognition only succeeds in massaging their ego and increasing their status within their circles. Be that as it may, everything is observed; nothing goes unnoticed. but it is hard to believe that they don’t feel deep down that real award are not bought. They are simply feeding their large egos by putting such purchased accolades on the walls and shelves as if it is worth something. The most interesting, or rather farcical, thing is that the awards are given in entirely unrelated fields—human rights organizations dispensing awards in literature, to say the least. It reminds me of an anecdote: once, so called kashmiri Journalist was awarded by a readymade garments shopkeeper as if it were some sort of a reputed media centre or research institute.
Insights From Allama Iqbal R.A and Virat Kohli
Allama Iqbal wrote about Renaissance fame, the pursuit of loftier ideals. In his poetical collection “Bang-e-Dra” (The Call of the Marching Bell), he turns to the question of fame as something external and unreal. He feels it is in purposeful life lies the creating of greatness and earning of recognition, not in the chasing after fleeting, vain fame.
In the poetics of “Sitaron Se Aage Jahan Aur Bhi Hain,” Iqbal dwelt on the petty nature of worldly celebrity and exhorted man to strive for higher spiritual and intellectual attainment. He emphasizes that true satisfaction ensues from pursuing one’s ideals proficiently for the larger welfare of humanity than in merely gaining fame and appreciation.
I remember an interview of the legendary cricketer Virat Kohli in which he said that hard work, patience, and perseverance mean everything to him. According to Kohli, only long-lasting continuous effort and dedication may result in real successes, instead of some overnight formulas or shortcuts. He believes there is no substitute for hard work, and the real achievement is a long-term consequence of struggle, passion towards one’s goals. Who bestows these accolades and upon what grounds are they conferred? What laudable feats underpin the recipients’ recognition, and how profoundly have they shaped society’s trajectory? Might their contributions indeed be deemed meritorious, or are these honors merely secured through pecuniary means?
The self – Adulation Trap
Amusingly enough, certain individuals have been audacious enough to establish their own establishments and, almost whimsically, bestow themselves with Awards, promoting an air of supremacy and such. One wonders, how do they quench the thirst of their souls by self-adulation? A profound contemplation, indeed! I look immensely forward to learning from all of the many perspectives that encompass such a vast, sweeping spectrum of opinion.We also need to follow this line of thinking in our lives. These are paid awards and result in just a boosting one’s ego and nothing else; it definitely means nothing more. True success ultimately lies in dedication, hard work, and genuine achievements.The most interesting, or rather farcical, thing is that the awards are given in entirely unrelated fields—human rights organizations dispensing awards in literature, to say the least. It reminds me of an anecdote: once, so called kashmiri Journalist was awarded by a readymade garments shopkeeper as if it were some sort of a reputed media centre or research institute.
How to Combat This Menace
The first step to overcoming fake awards and recognition scams is through awareness and education about them. People must, therefore, be oriented with the common tell-tale signs of a scam and the need to verify whether the award or recognition is legitimate before they invest their money. This includes research into the credibility of organizations that extend an award, checking their official website, and consulting other reputable sources. It may further be reported to consumer protection agencies and social media platforms so that legal action against such scammers and prevention of further preying on others is taken. Encouragement and support of the merited awarding organizations, coupled with celebration of genuine achievements, will give less recognition to paid recognitions. Stricter regulation and control over the process of award giving can further help in being transparent and, accordingly, averting its proliferation into fraudulent activities. It is through collective effort that we must strive to reduce the adverse effects of scams as well as try to develop a culture where real merit and hard work are honestly appreciated.
The author is a Ganderbal based columnist and holds master’s degree.He X’s @peermohdamir
