A very unusual plan to distribute free iPhone 17 smartphones through an ‘iPhone Langar’ is getting attention in Punjab and beyond, but now there is a roadblock.
Amritsar resident and businessman Rakesh Trehan (popularly known as Raja D King) had announced to distribute iPhone 17 and newer models free of cost from September 22. The event was expected to attract a large number of people and Chandigarh authorities are concerned over the safety and crowd control of people.
Trehan’s announcement quickly went viral on social media because of the unusual concept. The word langar is associated with the free sharing of food, particularly in the Sikh tradition, but Trehan suggested the concept with expensive smartphones. He planned to distribute iPhones to the public and referred to them as “prasad.” The announcement raised a lot of interest; social media users are even talking about how the giveaway would work and who would get the phone.
The proposed event was to begin on September 22, and it was reported that the distribution was planned for a particular afternoon. Trehan said no preferential treatment would be given to the recipients. Interested people were also encouraged to join a WhatsApp group through which information on the giveaway and selection process could be communicated.
The scale of the proposed giveaway was another reason why the announcement received so much attention. Trehan had ordered around 100 iPhone 17 units, although discussions around the event suggested a much larger number of smartphones could be distributed. The exact number of devices that were to be distributed was subject to the arrangements for the event, however.
Trehan is not new to unusual public giveaways. He had previously attracted attention for an initiative called a “petrol langar” in which he had distributed fuel to members of the public. His latest announcement was instantly dubbed another viral phenomenon because of the high value of the products involved.
But the planned September 22 gathering has now been stopped by Chandigarh authorities. The government is apparently worried about a large crowd gathering at the venue and the problems in maintaining public order and safety.
That is why the iPhone Langar is now not going to happen in its original form. This is also a case that we need to get permissions and crowd control arrangements in place when you are planning to have a lot of people around. The goods can create great public interest even if they are free of charge and that can cause overcrowding.
The controversy has also opened up a much larger discussion online about the unusual concept of giving away premium smartphones. Some social media users viewed the announcement as an interesting charitable initiative, while others questioned how such a large giveaway could be organised safely and transparently.
For Trehan, this is a major change from what was announced at the start of September 22. What started as a viral plan to distribute free iPhone 17 smartphones from September 22 is now a story about public safety and crowd control. Any future attempt to organise a similar giveaway would need to be made with the authorization from the authorities from that point onwards as well.
The September 22 iPhone Langar should not be treated as a genuine public giveaway right now. Chandigarh authorities have also stopped the proposed gathering because of safety and crowd-control issues. It’s an unusual announcement that’s still going on online and is one of the most talked about smartphone giveaway stories in India.
