By Tim Binnall
Fed up with content creators claiming that their community is haunted, an Indian village has taken the drastic step of banning all outsiders from entering the town. According to a local media report, the peculiar decision came about after the small village of Swala became something of a flavor of the month for online paranormal personalities in the country. As an increasing number of YouTube channels and social media accounts showcased the 'spooky' community, residents and officials grew increasingly irritated about the town's burgeoning reputation as a haunted location.
Insisting that there is nothing particularly supernatural about Swala, frustrated village officials finally decided to take action by banning all outsiders from visiting the community without permission from the local government. The restriction was enacted specifically to prevent camera-toting people from further tarnishing the town's reputation by prolonging its proverbial fifteen minutes of paranormal fame. To that end, a sign announcing the ban was posted along the highway leading to the location, cautioning travelers that unauthorized entry into the community is prohibited.
The marker also reads, "Legal warning: all news channels, social media creators, and reel makers are warned. Our ancestral village is being defamed by mischievous people calling it a 'ghost village.' Action will be taken against such people." Residents and officials understandably hope that the restriction will take the spotlight off Swala long enough for paranormal content creators to move on to another location as they grow desperate for new material and that the publicity surrounding the odd ban will help reverse the village's reputation for being haunted.