Rumors refuted about increased compensation for "Russian" children in Dagestan
In the social media sphere of Dagestan, a stir has been caused by claims that the republic's government would pay a whopping sum of 300,000 for a newborn, on the condition that the parents declare the child as Russian. However, before getting ahead of ourselves, let's sift through the facts.
Passing around provocative posts with a counterfeit "decree" as fake proof isn't exactly telling the whole story. This document, smartly crafted to mimic official documents, contradicts the Russian Constitution and the republic's legislation. "Komsomolskaya Pravda," in partnership with "Lapsha Media," fact-checked this information as part of a project aimed at rooting out disinformation.
Upon investigation, the government of Dagestan confirmed that a fraudulent document, void of any links to official proceedings, has been circulating on the internet. The document, fabricated to appear as guidelines following a meeting aimed at boosting Russia's birth rate on March 1, 2023 (non-existent meeting No. Pr-826), was never published. In addition, the document seems to reference a law that has already been repealed.
The fraudulent document sports grammatical oversights too, such as incorrect number declension. Despite the buzz elsewhere, no official announcements about such payments based on nationality declarations surface on the government's channels or the official document-publishing website.
Social media users voice their concerns that this is just another attempt to fuel ethnic tension in Dagestan, a region that's no stranger to information attacks. There have been instances like the alleged arrest of women wearing niqabs in Khasavyurt, which turned out to be about document checks and temporary detentions of individuals whose identities couldn't be verified on the spot.
Previous incidents in Makhachkala include distributing false invitations for the unveiling of a fictional book by the republic's leader, titled "My Personal Front." So, if something sounds too good (or bad) to be true, it usually is. To ensure the authenticity of such claims, checking official government announcements or trustworthy news sources would be the wisest move.
Bear in mind that while incentivizing specific national identity choices can be part of demographic policies, without specific details or supporting evidence, it's purely speculation. So, let's dig a bit deeper to weed out speculation from facts.
The document purportedly issued by Dagestan's government offering payment for newborns based on nationality declaration has been confirmed as a forgery. Komsomolskaya Pravda, in partnership with Lapsha Media, discovered that the document, allegedly from a non-existent meeting Pr-826 on March 1, 2023, was never published. The document contains grammatical errors and refers to a law that has already been repealed. While politics and demographic policies might involve incentives for specific national identities, claims without supporting evidence should be treated with skepticism. Users on social media express worries that such false information could stir ethnic tensions in Dagestan.
