The Indian political field has been inundated with a flash flood of fake news since the devastating Pulwama attack and consequential air raids on an alleged JeM breeding ground in Balakot, Pakistan. With 900 million eligible voters - of which more than a third are exposed to social media - the 2019 elections will undeniably be influenced by the overflowing online hoaxes.
While ‘fake news’, a deceivingly innocuous concept, was prevalent in politics since the escalating digitalisation of India, it was brought to the forefront after the India administered aerial strikes on Pakistan’s Balakot. A dichotomy in the aftermath of the strikes was highlighted when the Indian media celebrated the death of over 300 terrorists while the Pakistani government mourned the destruction of trees, holding the Modi led BJP accountable for ‘ecoterrorism’.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Jingoistic social media pages on both sides of the border promulgated wrongly labelled footage; Russian army drills were broadcasted as a display of Indian military vigour, while a two year old video of Pakistani military tank mobilisation was circulated as ‘breaking news’.
The proliferation of fake news is in itself detrimental but when studied in the context of upcoming Indian elections, its ramifications are far beyond what one can fathom. Political campaigns have swiftly taken advantage of the vulnerable state of the Indian masses to spark their nationalistic fervour. Politically motivated content such as an old video of Prime Minister Modi on call with the spouse of a man who passed away during his political rallies was broadcasted as the Prime Minister speaking to the widow of a ‘shaheed jawan’ within days of the Pulwama attack.
Social media outlets like WhatsApp have also been used to further the BJP’s political ideology through the rampant spreading of lynching rumours. WhatsApp was also used by so-called "cow vigilantes" to target Muslims and other minorities and stir up religious tension. While the Indian government has displayed an outward support and worked with companies like WhatsApp to create new laws and tackle sectarian bigotry, one cannot deny the fact that the increasing hegemony of Hindus in the nation falls perfectly in line with the NDA’s vision. It is the lack of political will and not the lack of laws that is the main obstacle in putting a stop to these heinous acts of crime.
India is a thriving ground for fake news and misinformation. While the country is becoming digitalised and connected, it is inevitably also swamped with first-time Internet users who are unskilled in distinguishing between fact and fiction. The Election Commission is on a mission to curb fake news weeks before the parliamentary elections, but the problem cannot come to an instantaneous halt. Until the people of the country realise that the forwarding, retweeting and liking of inherently xenophobic and toxically patriotic messages on social media can have deleterious consequences on the elections and subsequently on India as a whole, no effort from the Indian government or the social media platforms themselves can be of any benefit.
