India Needs Information-Defence

During Operation Sindoor, a new kind of battlefield emerged—one fought not with missiles and machines, but with narratives and misinformation.

- AJAY KUMAR

False stories surged from all directions, each crafted to manipulate perception, sow confusion, and gain the upper hand in the arena of public opinion. Though fact-checking units worked diligently, they simply could not compete with the speed and seduction of a well-told lie. The reality of the Information Age is that the real is the first to be lost, and the central battle is how to reclaim it.

Disinformation spreads fast because it's mostly told as stories, which people remember better than facts. Stories grab our attention, stir emotions, and help us make sense of things—even when they're not true. Conspiracy theories, for example, offer simple answers to complex issues in ways that are easy to share and hard to forget. Algorithmically powered social media platforms accentuate the problem by showing users content that fits their existing beliefs and emotions. As a result, people mostly see posts that agree with what they already think, creating echo chambers. This problem grows worse because people naturally defend ideas that match their group or identity, and reject facts that seem to come from outsiders. In such a space, fake stories don't just spread—they're believed and protected. Correcting them isn't just about showing the truth; it also means overcoming deep emotional and group attachments.