Opinion

Information warfare command: Need of the Hour

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The Indian army yet to have an Information warfare wing to neutralize the disinformation and fake propaganda during times of conflicts

Ram and Mohammed are two neighbours who had challenged each other on many occasions. Everybody in the city sees combat coming soon in between them. While most of the people see Ram have superior capabilities, Mohammed’s friends claim himself an undisputed winner. Both of them preparing themselves against each other. And one day in the mountains, they face each other. Both with their swords start the bloodshed. After an hour clash, Mohammed downed with wounds and broken sword, Ram is ready for the final assault. While seeing death coming, Mohammed starts running towards the city with full force. Victorious Ram goes to a nearby river and then comes to the city. By now, in city Mohammed and his friends have conveyed that Ram might have left the city after brutal defeat in the mountains. Mohammed’s broken sword also has been publicly shown as of Ram’s.

Information warfare and psychological warfare have become the most important concepts never used before. During conflicts, state machinery in a country run propaganda or disinformation to demoralize the adversaries. One of the most successful in the World and very professional, the Indian army yet to have an Information warfare wing to neutralize the disinformation and fake propaganda during times of conflicts.

Indian forces yet to have a specialized Information wing to neutralize the internet threats from adversaries and to convey factual information to the World during conflicts at the border.

It was last year when the need for the information wing was observed to checkmate fake propaganda from Pakistan. Within hours of Indian Air Force‘s aerial strikes on February 26th, Pakistan falsely claimed ‘Zero loss’ by IAF’s payload in an uninhabited wooded hilltop area near Balakot. On next day, the World again saw the witchhunt after the dogfight of Indian and Pakistanis jets. Pakistan’s information war machinery very quickly posted news and videos of shot downed Indian jet Mig-21 and capturing of Indian pilot. It neither revealed its shot downed Lockheed Martin F-16 nor the injured pilot beat to death by the residents of Pakistan administered Kashmir. World media took the Pakistan story in seconds. Misinformation was spread globally much before the truth in the form of Indian claims came.

Currently authoritarian China through state-owned news platforms spreading disinformation, fake propaganda globally. Global Times, a so-called news platform has become an unofficial mouthpiece for the People Liberation Army. The army is using the platform for posting propaganda videos and threatening India.

Unfortunately, Indian forces yet to have a specialized Information wing to neutralize the internet threats from adversaries and to convey factual information to the World during conflicts at the border. According to some published news reports last year[1], Defence Ministry to counter enemy’s false propaganda and fake news during escalated tension at the border; had approved Information wing but then this wing is yet to be seen in action on the Internet and social media. When now the post of Chief of Defence Staff has been formulated by the Government, Cabinet Committee on Security must take cognizance of disinformation and anti-India propaganda campaigns and formulate an Information warfare command with its presence on social media to convey true, factual information during the time of escalated tensions.

Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

References:

[1] Information Warfare Wing in Army to fight enemy propaganda, fake newsMar 9, 2019, DNA

Ravinder Kaushik

Ravinder Kaushik is an Advocate, enrolled at Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana. His Social Media links are: www.twitter.com/rohtakites www.facebook.com/rohtakite

View Comments

  • Check out YouTube video "spying on the scammers" to see some tips about what you are talking about. Notice how he just called up Karl Rock.
    Do we have a handle on these guys?

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