Bang Thaalis; Shout Grow GDP: FB Event Slamming India’s Contracting GDP Goes Viral

Bhubaneswar: Taking a dig at India’s contracting GDP, an event has been marked on Facebook for September 9, inviting people for ‘Banging Thaalis & Shouting – Grow GDP, Grow From Our Balconies.’

This comes after the data released by India’s National Statistical Office (NSO) on Monday showed a contraction of almost 24 percent in the country’s 1Q20 GDP- the sharpest drop in 41 years!

Meanwhile, the event is going viral on social media and over 22,000 people have expressed interest in it. The idea has also been inspired by PM Modi’s clarion call to the nation when he had asked people to bang thaalis, clap and switch off their lights, to express gratitude to doctors, nurses and others who are at the forefront of fighting the pandemic.

The event description reads, “At 9 pm on the ninth day of the ninth month, we will bajao thaalis (steel plates) and scream “Grow GDP, grow” from our balconies. Maintain social distancing and keep your cameras handy for some instant PR work with a peacock or something.”

The idea for this countrywide event comes from a tweet from the user ‘swatiatrest’, claims the event page.

Thinking of spending 9 minutes at 9 pm on 9th September on the terrace with a thali, screaming "grow GDP, grow."

— Swati (@swatiatrest) September 1, 2020

One user wrote, ”This will be a masterstroke and definitely help the GDP grow at double the speed like CoronaVirus.”

Another user wrote, ”I am super excited and relieved at the same time. This single event is going to change the future of our country forever. The vibration created by millions of bangings at the same time (I mean the plates, not the other one) will create positive energy with a frequency that resonates with the natural frequency of the electric/mechanical/electronic machines and this will increase the efficiency coefficient by an amount of 10 percent”

The event is hosted by the satirical page “Pictures Of Taimur Ali Khan To Distract You From Real Issues”. The page is a commentary on media’s use and obsession with the kid of a famous Bollywood couple. It uses the star kid’s pictures to grab public attention but then talks about issues that you should be paying attention to, instead.