The Invisible War: Fighting Minds, Data and Truth

In the digital age, wars are fought in minds, not on battlefields. India must guard truth as fiercely as it guardsits frontiers

- DR. HIMANSHU RAI

Kautilya, in the Arthashastra, wrote that “the wise king conquers not only through the sword but through silence.” The most potent weapon, he observed, is not one that strikes the body but one that captures the mind. In our age, that ancient counsel has acquired a chilling modern form — disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, and algorithmic influence have replaced spies, scrolls, and couriers. The war of our time is invisible, fought not in trenches but in timelines.

identity, and truth itself. India, with its billion-strong digital population and rapidly expanding digital economy, stands at both the forefront and the fault line of this transformation. Cybersecurity is no longer merely an IT concern — it is national security. A hostile intrusion into financial networks, energy grids, or defense communications could be as devastating as a conventional strike.

Kautilya and the Art of Silent War

Kautilya classified warfare into three kinds: open (prakashayuddha), concealed (kuta yuddha), and silent (tushnimyuddha). The last, he warned, was the most insidious — waged through misinformation, economic disruption, and psychological manipulation. Two millennia later, tushnimyuddha has returned, magnified by technology.