New Delhi — Wars have never been limited to the physical battlefield. For centuries, they have been fought simultaneously through covert methods — espionage, sabotage, and subversion — carried out behind the scenes.
Even in times of open warfare, intelligence operations have played a critical role, aimed at gauging the enemy’s strength and uncovering their strategic intentions.
Following the Cold War, a new pattern of conflict emerged — the era of “proxy wars.” These conflicts involved the secret infiltration of militants and terrorists into enemy territory, arming them to conduct attacks on military and strategic targets. Such tactics, designed to inflict significant damage without a direct conventional battle, are often referred to as “asymmetric warfare.”
One of the most well-known examples of this strategy was the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan, where militant groups successfully forced Soviet troops out of the country.
Proxy wars can cripple a nation’s economy, as was evident in the case of the Soviet Union. The economic strain from the Afghan war was a key factor contributing to the USSR’s collapse. Interestingly, 1991 — the year the Soviet Union disintegrated — also marked the dawn of the Information Technology (IT) revolution, which ushered in an era of instant global communication and the rise of the knowledge economy.
The IT revolution accelerated the advent of “information wars,” a modern form of conflict where ‘influence operations’ play a crucial role. Influence warfare uses information and communication technology to shape public perception, manipulate narratives, and achieve political or strategic objectives — often without resorting to direct military engagement.
This includes influencing public opinion to delegitimize adversaries through disinformation campaigns, narrative-building, and cyber operations.
In India’s experience, both domestic opposition groups and foreign adversaries — particularly the China-Pakistan axis — have used social media to undermine the government and tarnish the country’s image globally.
China, in particular, has gone beyond traditional influence warfare and ventured into direct covert operations aimed at manipulating political processes abroad — most notably, in the United States.
Kash Patel, appointed by then-President Donald Trump as an FBI Director, revealed intelligence reports suggesting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was involved in producing large numbers of fake U.S. driver’s licenses. These were allegedly intended to facilitate mail-in voting fraud during the 2020 U.S. Presidential election in favor of Joe Biden.
In August 2020, U.S. Customs reportedly seized nearly 20,000 counterfeit licenses based on this intelligence. Patel has submitted the relevant reports to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley for further investigation.
These revelations followed earlier warnings by FBI Director Christopher Wray in November 2022, where he confirmed that the FBI was investigating reports that China had illegally set up “police stations” in the U.S. — a blatant breach of U.S. sovereignty and law enforcement norms.
In April 2023, several U.S. citizens of Chinese origin were reportedly arrested for operating a covert “police outpost” in Manhattan. These individuals, acting on instructions from China’s Ministry of Public Security, were accused of harassing Chinese dissidents abroad and pushing pro-China propaganda online.
These bold incidents exemplify how modern “influence warfare” operates in today’s interconnected world.
A more recent illustration involves the information war waged during the India-Pakistan military standoff, which followed the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Pahalgam. Chinese state media amplified unverified Pakistani claims, including false reports that a BrahMos missile storage facility in India had been destroyed — claims India firmly dismissed as misinformation.
Chinese media, blogs, and social platforms echoed Pakistan’s propaganda, portraying the conflict as a Pakistani victory. They emphasized Pakistan’s supposed use of advanced Chinese weaponry — including fighter jets, missiles, and air defense systems — to tilt the battlefield advantage.
The China-Pakistan alliance thus engaged in both military cooperation and a concerted information campaign against India.
For India, the key takeaway is the need for strength not only in defense and international alliances but also in countering propaganda. Combating false narratives on social media and taking proactive diplomatic measures are critical.
The indirect war — shaping global opinion and undermining India’s image — requires a robust, coordinated response. This adds significant responsibility to national intelligence and diplomatic agencies, which must closely monitor evolving influence warfare tactics.
Following Operation Sindoor — in which India retaliated against nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — India launched an unprecedented diplomatic outreach. Seven multi-party teams, comprising MPs and former diplomats (mostly from the Opposition), were dispatched to 32 global capitals to present India’s position on terrorism and expose Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack.
In response to a ceasefire appeal from Pakistan’s Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO), India — while prioritizing peace — agreed to a ceasefire after achieving its immediate military objectives.
Some reports suggest U.S. President Trump, under pressure from the Pakistan military, advocated for the ceasefire. However, his involvement should not be seen as compromising India’s international standing.
India’s leadership must remain focused on pursuing strategies that serve national interests, whether on the battlefield, in diplomacy, or in the information space.
With inputs from IANS