India, the world’s largest democracy, is facing a crisis not just of governance or civil liberties, but of truth itself. In recent years, a sophisticated and politically motivated disinformation ecosystem has taken root within the country. Spearheaded by Hindu nationalist forces and abetted by segments of mainstream media, government-aligned influencers, and partisan digital platforms, this architecture has weaponized narratives to deepen societal divides and distort international perceptions. While disinformation is not unique to India, the scale, frequency, and state proximity of these campaigns present a unique threat to domestic harmony and regional stability.
The Pahalgam Attack and the Exploitation of Tragedy
The ambush in Pahalgam serves as a sobering example of how national tragedies are manipulated to inflame communal passions. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, several mainstream media outlets and Hindu nationalist influencers circulated unverified claims that Hindu tourists were targeted based on their religious identity. Despite the absence of any official confirmation or investigative clarity, these assertions were aggressively promoted, fueling Islamophobic sentiments across social media.
This reflexive communal framing illustrates a broader and dangerous pattern: weaponizing incidents of violence to stigmatize India’s Muslim population. By casting Muslims as perpetual suspects, such narratives not only hinder impartial investigations but also erode the foundational principles of justice and secularism enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
The Tablighi Jamaat Incident and COVID-19
This strategy of scapegoating minorities during crises is not new. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Tablighi Jamaat were demonized as “super-spreaders” following a religious gathering in Delhi. Main stream Media channels from Delhi led an aggressive campaign blaming Muslims for the spread of the virus, despite epidemiological data disproving such claims. The narrative, laced with communal undertones, led to widespread social ostracism, economic boycotts, and even physical attacks against Muslim communities.
This episode demonstrated how health emergencies, instead of uniting citizens, were exploited to amplify prejudice—laying bare the dangers of a politicized media landscape operating with little regard for truth or consequences.
Disinformation Beyond Religion: The Rise of Tamilphobia
The disinformation apparatus also extends into regional and linguistic fault lines. In early 2023, baseless claims about attacks on North Indian migrant workers in Tamil Nadu were circulated widely. Right-wing influencers amplified these stories to stir anti-Tamil sentiment among Hindi-speaking populations, portraying Tamil Nadu as hostile and unpatriotic.
This was not merely misinformation; it was part of a broader agenda to delegitimize the Tamils movements, which advocates for linguistic pride, cultural autonomy, and federal equity. By vilifying Tamil Nadu, such campaigns seek to suppress dissenting regional voices and homogenize national identity under a North Indian, Hindu-centric framework.
Eelam Tamil Suffering and the Indian Media Role
India’s disinformation challenge also has a regional dimension. has been criticized for aligning too closely with New Delhi’s strategic objectives in its regional coverage. During the final stages of Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war (2006–2009) and in the post-war years, several prominent Indian outlets appeared to downplay or whitewash serious allegations of human rights violations committed by the Sri Lankan state against Tamil civilians.
“The Hindu”, one of India’s most respected dailies, is often cited as a case in point. Its editorial stance during the final years of the war and its reporting on post-conflict developments largely echoed the Sri Lankan government’s narrative, which portrayed the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) as terrorists while sidestepping widespread civilian suffering. This alignment with Colombo’s version of events served New Delhi’s strategic calculus, which sought to maintain cordial ties with the Rajapaksa administration to counterbalance Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean. Such complicity undermines both journalistic integrity and India’s moral authority in regional diplomacy, particularly when authoritarian regimes are shielded from accountability.
Sikh Communities and Transnational Vilification
Sikh communities, both within India and abroad, have increasingly found themselves targeted by state-aligned disinformation—especially during the farmers’ protests and the international fallout surrounding the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. In these cases, Indian media and diplomatic channels painted Sikh activists as extremists, drawing on historical tropes from the 1980s.
This tactic has a dual purpose: delegitimizing dissent at home while pressuring foreign governments to suppress diaspora activism. The net effect is the criminalization of political expression and a deterioration of India’s relations with countries like Canada, where freedom of speech and minority rights are strongly upheld.
The “Indian Chronicles” Revelation: A Global Disinformation Web
Perhaps the most comprehensive revelation of India’s disinformation tactics came from the EU DisinfoLab’s “Indian Chronicles” report in 2020. The investigation exposed a vast network of over 750 fake media outlets, 10+ resurrected NGOs, and fabricated personas operating across 119 countries. The aim was clear: to manipulate international opinion in favor of India and against its adversaries, particularly Pakistan.
These operations, often targeting institutions like the UN Human Rights Council and the European Parliament, reveal a disturbing trend—using propaganda as a tool of foreign policy. The long-term damage to India’s democratic credentials and diplomatic trust cannot be overstated.
The Role of Right-Wing Media in Sinophobic Narratives
India’s right-wing media ecosystem has also stoked xenophobia under the guise of nationalism. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, terms like “Chinese virus” were promoted on platforms such as WION, mimicking disinformation trends seen in the West. Such narratives have contributed to a climate of suspicion and racial hostility against Northeast Indians and foreign nationals, particularly Chinese.
By converting geopolitical disputes into cultural and racial animosities, these campaigns weaken India’s position in multilateral diplomacy, particularly at a time when regional cooperation is critical.
Consequences: Internal Fragmentation and Global Isolation
The long-term consequences of India’s disinformation apparatus are both internal and external. Domestically, it sows seeds of division, polarizes public discourse, and corrodes institutions tasked with maintaining secularism and justice. Internationally, it alienates allies, undermines credibility in global forums, and fuels retaliatory information warfare from rival states.
In an age where soft power and perception are as influential as economic or military might, India’s credibility is one of its greatest assets. Eroding it for short-term domestic gain is not only shortsighted—it is dangerous.
The Imperative for Reform
India now stands at an inflection point. The country must decide whether to continue down a path where media manipulation and communal polarization define national discourse—or to uphold the democratic ideals it once championed on the global stage.
Urgent reforms are needed. These include:
- Stronger regulatory oversight on media ethics and ownership transparency.
- Independent fact-checking bodies with real-time intervention powers.
- Civic education to build media literacy among citizens.
- Legal safeguards to prevent the criminalization of dissent and minority speech.
சிறப்பான அலசல் அண்ணா. திராவிடத் திருவாளர்களும் தமிழ்நாட்டளவில் இதைத்தான் பின்பற்றுகிறார்கள்.