One singular reflex action most NRIs — at least the first-generation ones — living in Gulf countries indulge in is turn on Indian news television channels or scroll Indian news media for information. Even in the best of times, it’s a bad idea. And in times like these, it’s downright dangerous.

Almost every fake — or exaggerated — nugget of “news” is coming from “back home”. A few days ago, a panic-stricken friend called to tell me Dubai metro has been “hit”, and there is smoke billowing out of a station. “Impossible,” I said, “I can see trains pass every three minutes from my apartment. Where are you getting this from?”

She named a popular Indian channel, and added there is a live discussion happening on the matter.

If Indian media has to be believed, everything is up in flames in the UAE, missiles are flying like flies over glittering skylines, the Dubai dream is definitively over, all Indians expats are hot footing to neighbouring Oman to catch the first flight out, and that astrologers producing doomsday horoscopes for the Gulf, not geopolitical analysts, are the real experts when it comes to predicting an “outcome”.

It’s embarrassing to witness, in real time, the depths Indian media is plumbing — leading to the Indian I&B ministry ordering a temporary “halt to TRP reporting of TV news channels for four weeks” in view of the “unwarranted sensationalism in reporting the ongoing war”. There was a time — long before TRPs and page views and “unique visitors” became part and parcel of journalistic parlance — when Indian media stood for fact-checked critical thinking. No more. Whether it’s a “popular” news anchor passing off a 1979 hostage situation as a ‘currently’ unfolding crisis set to a side of AI-created Armageddon-like videos or a “thought leader” pronouncing Dubai is running out of food, it’s now a circus show.

Consider this. Gulf News had a report (quoting government sources) stating “UAE urges residents not to stockpile food, reaffirms markets remain well supplied”; the dubious India.com on the other hand claimed “Dubai has only 8 days of food left, UAE issues big warning”.

It’s business as usual, thank you very much

A lot of ‘well-wishers’ from around the world — all of them on a strict diet prescribed by the Indian media — have been constantly bombarding me with “Are you okay?” messages. Many of them think Dubai is a country and Abu Dhabi is its capital — or vice versa. They think Sharjah used to be a cricket stadium. But now they are suddenly “in the know” of exactly what’s happening here.

It’s difficult to reassure them that things are alright, despite us living on the fringes on a war zone. No, it’s not true that hordes of people are fleeing. No, it’s not true that “all money” is being moved out of the UAE, it’s unadulterated speculation. Yes, tourists are leaving, but they were supposed to leave in any case. Yes, there are some residents who are taking a flight out (making use of the earlier-than-usual school break) for a holiday — but they are not “leaving”.

Businesses are running as usual, although some of us are working from home. A friend told me she was tired of doing WFH and went back to work only to be pleasantly surprised “how normal things are”.

The other day, someone said “DID YOU HEAR?” and then followed with a spiel on how one-way tickets from Dubai to New Delhi were selling for AED22,000 since there is now a massive exodus, but how she’d rather buy an LV bag and a purse than an air ticket with that amount. “Have you been watching Indian news channels — or scrolling their social media handles?” She giggled. Guilty as charged.

I opened emirates.com immediately. The current week is sold out. I tried 19 March. A one-way ticket was for AED1,100.- Sushmita Bose is Consulting Editor, NRIFocus.com