Daily Times

The exposé by European Union’s DisinfoLab in its 90-page report has shocked the world because it unearths the machinations of an international network funded by organizations with Indian leanings.

The detailed disclosures labeled “Indian Chronicles” comprise 265 fake media outlets, multiple dubious think tanks and NGOs, financed by Indian or pro-Indian entities surreptitiously working to destabilize Pakistan while simultaneously besmirching Islamabad’s image internationally. The clandestine operation was cloaked slyly using defunct media, think tanks, NGOs and even using the identities of deceased writers and academics to lend an aura of authority to the bogus stories but being quoted by mainstream media to add authenticity to the intrigues being hatched to denigrate Pakistan.

While it is startling that it took so long to uncover the heinous plot and can be considered a failure of the concerned departments, India’s use of odious means to obtain the desired effects, stem from centuries old teachings.

Espionage, euphemistically called the second oldest profession of the world finds a mention in the Indian Vedas, one of the most – if not the most – ancient of the human texts. Varuna, one of the chief gods of the Vedic pantheon is considered to be a forerunner of Secret Services. Magha, one of the most erudite and lucid poets and pragmatic thinkers, unequivocally asserted that statecraft cannot exist without the assistance of espionage. Secret Agencies in ancient India were not conceived of as an instrument of oppression but as a tool of governance. Secret agents were considered as 'eyes of the king'.

Despite independent researchers, academics and even Bangladeshi investigators reaching a conclusion that the claims of mass brutality by Pakistani troops in erstwhile East Pakistan were vast exaggerations.

Indian history illustrates that ancient Indians had gained great expertise in this secret art. The techniques and operational methods adopted by them were highly advanced, and can be usefully emulated today. From the spasas of Varuna, the fore-runners of the modern globe-trotting spies (the etymological affinity of the two terms is noticeable) to Chanakya's final manifestation of this art in the Arthashastra which is in fact a systematic codification of a wide variety of scattered information copiously found in the Epics, – the Mahabharata and the Ramayana – the Puranas and literary works of Bhasa, Kalidäsa, Magha and Bana; and the Tamil Sangam literature, transcends unprecedented heights in this discipline.

The vision of the Arthashastra is truly breathtaking, its practical utility timeless and the clarity of its exposition unique. The techniques of manipulating public opinion and creating disinformation, propounded by Chanakya anticipated modern intelligence systems by several centuries. No wonder then that the nearly 2500 years old lessons in deceit, guile, hypocrisy, machination, and gore taught by that Master strategist, Chanakya alias Kautilya (literally meaning 'crooked') was adopted in toto by India and its chief intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

While laying the foundation stone of RAW, India's late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi approvingly quoted Louis F Hallis, when she said that its objectives should be the 'Ability to get what one wants by whatever means: eloquence, reasoned arguments, bluff, tirade, threat or coercion, as well as, by arousing pity, annoying others, or making them uneasy'.

While we lament the fall of Dhaka forty-nine years ago, which was achieved through malicious propaganda, twisting facts to mould public opinion of the Bengalis, the forerunners of the Pakistan Movement to the extent that they were willing to part ways in a bloody struggle and slandering the good name of the defenders of Pakistan to be perceived as barbarous marauders, heartless butchers and rapist. Indian propaganda, faithfully echoed by its clients in Bangladesh reached such a crescendo that ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh, which were on the mend took a nosedive 2009 onwards when a pro-India dispensation assumed the mantle of power and still continues.

Trials of Bengalis, who had supported Pakistan in the 1971 War with India, which Bangladesh labels as its war for liberation and the continued suppression of Biharis, who had cast their lot with the integrity of a United Pakistan and are now doomed to spend their life in squalor and poverty in concentration camps further challenged the growing ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh. The persistence of Bangladesh to continue repeating the oft parroted lies of genocide and rape and insisting on seeking an apology further tarnished the diplomatic relations.

Despite independent researchers, academics and even Bangladeshi investigators reaching a conclusion that the claims of mass brutality by Pakistani troops in erstwhile East Pakistan were vast exaggerations.

They came to the conclusion that mass graves being shown to international opinion builders as pertaining to massacred Bengalis were in fact Biharis, non-Bengalis and Pakistani armed forces personnel, who were tortured, massacred, raped and disposed of mercilessly. A simple DNA test could have nailed the lie.

Mercifully good sense is finally prevailing in Bangladesh as the ugly visage of India was exposed through its unilateral and illegal action on August 5, 2019 to annex Illegally Occupied Indian Kashmir and Ladakh in the Indian Union and the draconian Citizenship Amendment Law and the National Citizenship Register to deny Muslims of their citizenship rights finally opened Hasina Wajed’s eyes. Dhaka had the largest protest rally to register its displeasure with the oppressive anti-Muslim legislation.

Chanakya’s “Disinformation and Dissension” campaign professed that manipulation of public opinion is as important an object of the State today as it was in ancient India. It is used to create disharmony and distrust among the enemy's friends, ill-will among his allies, loss of confidence in their leadership and disruption by psychological means, his capacity and will to fight. Chanakya had perfected the technique of disinformation and highly eulogized the use of dissension in enemy's ranks for winning a battle without any military action.