The Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony Award is presented to a person belonging to Tamil Nadu for their outstanding services rendered to promote communal harmony
Mohammed Zubair.
The Tamil Nadu government has presented the Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony Award, 2024, to Mohammed Zubair, the co-founder of the fact-checking website, Alt News.
Chief Minister MK Stalin presented Zubair with the award at the Republic Day event on Friday, 26 January. The award was presented in recognition of his promoting communal harmony by busting fake news that in turn helped prevent violence in the society.
Alt News analyses misinformation across India and displays a WhatsApp number +91-7600011160 appealing – “Have you come across a video or an image or any other form of information that you’re not sure about? Forward it to the Alt News WhatsApp number and we will verify it for you.”
Zubair is a native of Denkanikottai taluk in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district. His family resides on the Urdu School Street in Thally panchayat of the same district.
Zubair’s fact-checker portal has been around since 2017. Alt News has been analyzing the veracity of the news on social media and posting real news.
In March 2023, a video of migrant workers being attacked in Tamil Nadu had gone viral on social media. After verifying the video’s authenticity, Zubair published on Alt News that the incident had not taken place in Tamil Nadu and prevented possible communal and linguistic violence in the state.
The state recognised his efforts and services rendered to upkeep communal harmony and awarded the Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony Award.
The Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony Award is presented to a person belonging to Tamil Nadu for their outstanding services rendered to promote communal harmony. This award is presented by the chief minister during the Republic Day celebration on January 26 each year.
The award carries a purse of ₹25,000, a medal, and a certificate.
