The Practice of Disinformation: India’s Case and the Global Stakes

Instrument of national embarrassment
Disinformation is not merely a distortion of facts—it is a strategic weapon that undermines democratic institutions, manipulates international opinion, and violates the core principles of international law and multilateralism. The case of India’s disinformation campaign, particularly the network exposed by the EU DisinfoLab in December 2020, stands as a grave example of how state-sponsored deception can be industrialized, exported, and normalized in international affairs. The revelations were not only scandalous—they were symptomatic of a deeper malaise in global accountability mechanisms.
A Fifteen-Year Deception
According to EU DisinfoLab, a Brussels-based NGO specializing in uncovering influence operations, the Indian disinformation network they uncovered in 2020 was the largest of its kind at the time. For over 15 years, a sprawling web of NGOs, media outlets, fake think tanks, and impersonated identities—some of them of individuals long deceased—were used to project Indian state interests, discredit Pakistan, and undermine the legitimate rights movement in Jammu and Kashmir. These operations were not confined to obscure corners of the internet; they penetrated mainstream forums such as the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the European Parliament, and even the broader UN system.
What is particularly alarming is how this machinery was able to gain traction and take the floor in international institutions, often impersonating the dead or leveraging front organizations masquerading as independent civil society actors. This exploitation of institutional procedures represents a systemic failure of oversight and verification at the highest levels.
Disinformation as a Mask for Repression
India’s aim was not simply to gain a geopolitical advantage over Pakistan; it was to obscure the reality of its conduct in Kashmir. By flooding international fora with pro-India narratives, it sought to suffocate genuine discourse about the repression, human rights abuses, and denial of self-determination in the region. The damage was not only reputational but also moral: the cause of the Kashmiri people was wronged, not by the strength of India’s arguments, but by the volume and virality of its lies.
While India momentarily succeeded in manipulating global perception, the exposure of this campaign—through the India Chronicles report—stripped its government of any credible claim to transparency, non-violence, or respect for the UN Charter. It laid bare a state machinery that thrives not on diplomacy but on deception.
A Crisis Repeated: The May 2025 Escalation
Nearly five years later, in May 2025, India resorted once again to disinformation during a short-lived military confrontation with Pakistan. Indian official and semi-official media reported dramatic and entirely fabricated victories, including the alleged occupation of major Pakistani cities such as Lahore and Karachi. The reality, however, was starkly different.
Pakistan’s swift and decisive military response not only debunked Indian claims but exposed the fragility of India’s strategic narrative. What was presented as a triumphant war campaign turned into a public relations catastrophe.
Indian media’s descent into jingoistic fantasy dealt a severe blow to its own credibility—both domestically and internationally. The false reporting was not merely hyperbole; it was a dangerous exercise in wartime propaganda that risked further escalation and misinformed a billion people. Once again, India’s disinformation machine, designed for psychological warfare, became an instrument of national embarrassment.
Legal and Moral Recourse
In light of such persistent violations, there is a compelling argument for invoking the provisions of the United Nations Charter—specifically Articles 3, 4, 5, and 6. These articles define the grounds on which a member state may be admitted, suspended, or even expelled from the United Nations. India’s conduct, particularly its systematic violation of the principles of truth, peaceful dispute resolution, and respect for self-determination, raises questions about its fitness to be an unchallenged participant in global governance structures.
While expulsion or suspension remains a politically difficult proposition, these articles nonetheless offer a moral and legal foundation for accountability. If the international community fails to respond meaningfully to such abuses, it risks legitimizing a world order where manipulation replaces multilateralism and disinformation replaces diplomacy.
Conclusion: The Need for an Ethical Firewall
India’s disinformation campaigns, from Geneva to Karachi, have revealed how modern information warfare can be used not only to influence narratives but to rewrite political realities. These episodes call for stronger institutional checks, better verification protocols at international forums, and a renewed commitment to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.
But more than that, they demand vigilance from civil society, member states, and media watchdogs worldwide. Truth, though often outpaced by falsehoods, remains the cornerstone of justice and peace. The international community must ensure that those who abuse the marketplace of ideas to commit reputational and moral fraud do not go unchallenged.