A mysterious phenomenon terrorizing people in 2002 caused a wave of panic in India
The inhabitants of the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh lived in fear and anxiety. From the abundant but very confusing reports coming from there, it can be understood that people were terrorized by something with supernatural powers. After meeting with the "phenomenon", painful wounds remain on the body, so the unknown monster received the nickname "fly-tailed" from the local population, that is, "scratching the face."
The mysterious phenomenon and the wave of panic associated with its antics have already caused a lot of headaches to the Indian authorities. Initially, they generally dismissed the reports of the "fly" as empty rumors. Then they began to explain the strange incident as a "massive mental disorder", which, of course, should soon pass … However, the situation did not improve, but on the contrary - turned into one of the acute problems directly related to the observance of law and order in the state. Already more than a dozen police stations have been crushed by an angry mob of citizens protesting against the inaction of the authorities, who were unable to protect the residents of the state from the "scratching face". There were even rioting victims in Lucknow - one person was killed and two were injured when police opened fire to disperse the attacking crowd at the police station. Similar incidents have occurred in the cities of Mirzapur, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Sitapur, Unnao and Chanduli.
But the harsh actions of the police could not stop the general unrest. People are afraid of an unknown creature (or phenomenon) much more than their fellow tribesmen, albeit in police uniform.
Eyewitnesses, who claim to have personally seen the "fly-throat", say that "it has a round shape and looks like a flying saucer, emitting bright rays of green and red." One of the "testimonies" of a witness from Sitapura at my disposal literally says the following: "It flies with great speed and disappears from sight in a split second, leaving numerous cuts on the faces of eyewitnesses."
In addition to the words of the frightened people, there appeared more “material” evidence that some phenomenon is actually taking place. This very "fly" was captured on videotape. And, as reported by the newspaper "Action Age" from Lucknow, the experts who looked at the footage could not find any reasonable explanation for the two-minute plot, which captured the rapid circular movement of bright rays of light and the groans of people who received unusual and very painful wounds … Doctors who examined the victims, stated that the wounds are shallow (in fact, ordinary scratches), and severe pain and burning occur, possibly due to some caustic chemical composition that got on people's faces during the incident.
The appearance of "documentary evidence" could not fail to attract the press, greedy for sensations. Many foreign television companies have already sent their film crews to Uttar Pradesh, hoping to film the unusual phenomenon. In the meantime, the state government continues to firmly insist that the flytooth is purely a figment of the imagination of the people, fueled by mass hysteria - although there are other explanations. For example, in the Lakhimpur district, the administration "grabbed" an unusual insect with six clawed paws and a 3-inch body, which was immediately declared "that terrible" flyfoot ", sealed in a bottle and sent for" research "at the Lucknow Zoo.
In the hinterland of the state, the phenomenon is often explained by the most understandable explanation for the population, namely, the anger of the spirits offended by them. On this occasion, in many villages, even puja (a widespread form of deity worship among the Hindus, including offerings and divine honors. - Author) was performed to pacify their local gods.
Indian scientists have already "voiced" their understanding of what is happening. According to specialists from the Institute of Information Technology in Kanpur, the "fly-tailed" effect is "a natural phenomenon that occurs in a long-lasting severe drought." According to their interpretation, during the dry period, the surface of the earth is excessively electrified, and dust raised by the wind can form luminescent spheres. It was them, emitting rays of red and green, and nothing else could be recorded by people who happened to be at the place of their appearance. According to the authors of this version, in the cases under consideration, particles raised from the earth's surface and having an electric potential may also contain some acid, which causes irritation and burning when it comes into contact with the skin and mucous membrane of a person.
Opponents, meanwhile, note that the observation of the "fly-tailed" effect continued after the monsoon with good torrential rains passed over the territory of the state. In addition, in the western regions of Uttar Pradesh, which experienced an equally severe drought, no miracles were observed …
High-ranking state police officials also seem to have their own version and, on condition of anonymity, admit that "the problem is much more complex than it might seem at first glance." They, in particular, draw attention to the fact that the fear of "fly-tailed" only covered areas along the state border with the Kingdom of Nepal. This, according to the local special services, "cannot be a mere coincidence." One of the versions they put forward at this stage is based on the suspicion that they have to deal with the unlawful use of “some remotely controlled device in the hands of persons with the aim of causing internal unrest in one of the largest states in the country”.
If this is the case, then the panic-causing device has truly fantastic capabilities that allow you to evade pursuit with lightning speed, to remain unnoticed by modern electronic devices. With all the technical advantages, the design also has a significant drawback - it leaves signs of excess of sufficient self-defense and therefore should be prosecuted. "Noticing traces" by spraying acid, an unknown device inevitably injures people.
The command of the Indian Air Force base in Memaur was even given the task of "detecting" the "fly" with the help of electronic tracking devices. However, with all the efforts of the military, this hunt ended in nothing.
As you can see, despite all the statements about "mass psychosis", the Indian authorities are still trying in parallel to work out other versions. They are spurred on by a situation that has become a major problem for the state. The pranks of the enigmatic "little fly" have already led to "unprecedented bedlam in the legislature," according to the Times of India correspondent from Lucknow. Some deputies accused external forces of provoking terror, a certain foreign "hand" and demanded a thorough investigation.
To date, according to local media reports, the country's intelligence services, Foreign Ministry officials, medical experts, physicists, psychiatrists, and officers of the local and central police have presented their conclusions. Moreover, each of the versions put forward only led to even greater confusion.
Meanwhile, information coming from various parts of the state every day indicates an increase in the number of victims. The pressure on the authorities, which is quite justifiably demanded to put an end to the unknown enemy, is also increasing proportionally, reports "Action Age".
Let me remind you that about a year ago, the Delhi government faced a similar problem. In response to public demands, it deployed emergency measures to capture the ape-man, who had been sowing panic among residents of various districts of the capital and its suburbs for a month. As now, quite real victims with traces of lacerated wounds from claws on the face and body applied to the first-aid posts. Discovered "eyewitnesses" gave testimony in police stations with descriptions of the phenomenal strength and dexterity of the elusive creature. Despite a detailed verbal portrait and a known habitat, it was never possible to catch it. Having stopped his antics in the capital, the insidious stranger suddenly and without a trace disappeared. Meanwhile, the mobilization of the efforts of the police, including the allocation of additional funds to it, made it possible to decide both its own,and some other long-standing problems of the city. (During the "hunt" electricity was supplied to its eternally dark quarters).
Perhaps the assault on the province by the operator groups of well-known television companies will be able to make a sensational footage of the unusual phenomenon and provide food for further research. As for the reaction of the population to it, the diagnosis of its manifestation can be found without leaving Delhi - by referring to the evidence from history. A century and a half ago, in 1851, a very curious book was published in London called Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds. Even then, its author Charles Mackay drew attention to the fact that in the history of various states one often finds evidence of how “entire communities suddenly fix their attention on some object and literally go crazy in pursuit of it”. At the same time, millions of people, the author writes,“They find themselves caught in one delusion and follow it until their attention is turned to something new that has a greater attraction than the first.”
Well then. Wedge - wedge. A similar method of treatment is known in our country. It seems that the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Ms. Mayawati also knows about him. Desperate to reassure the population with her own assurances and scientific admonitions, she gave a fundamentally new, and most importantly, a direction that was understandable to those around her in connection with the “flyfoot”. The other day, she accused the leadership of the opposition party Samajvadi of using the “fly chimney” as a scarecrow to destabilize the government she leads. Strong move. But how will the ill-fated ghost of the "fly-tailed" answer him?