With the advancement in technology, ways & means to fight in conflict zones have undergone significant changes. Improved connectivity, speedier, cheaper mobile networks, and the development of multiple social media platforms have revolutionised information warfare. The pervasive nature of social media platforms has unfolded newer means to influence opinions across geographical boundaries. Being cost-effective, social media is a potent non-kinetic weapon. The use of social media in the conflict zone as a tool to rally the masses for a particular cause was first seen in the Middle East wherein ISIS fighters and organisations used YouTube and other social media platforms to spread their propaganda, radicalised masses, and recruited fighters. A similar phenomenon is on the rise in the Kashmir valley since last decade, which is posing new challenges to the government. The beginning of social media-fueled terrorism in the valley can be traced back to the year 2010. It started with improved internet connectivity in the valley and successful social media campaigns by militants around the world. A new generation of terrorism in Kashmir Valley like Burhan Wani, started using the same model to communicate with the masses and radicalise youths. Being an effective & speedy mode of connecting with the masses, it gained immense popularity amongst terrorists. It helped terrorists to alienate local youths and provided a faster & secure medium to spread their opinions & propaganda unhindered from scrutiny. Such was the effect that as per statistics, more local youth joined terrorist ranks post-2010, in comparison to foreign fighters. Further, the increased disturbances in the valley & rise of stone palter during the period are also attributed to clandestinely conducted social media campaigns post the year 2015.
Withdrawal of Kashmir's special status in the year 2020 set in motion, a different form of militancy with the emergence of more local outfits in the valley. Mobile internet connectivity has reshaped the conflict in the valley with technological dimensions, whose effect is beyond comprehension & calculation. With this new form, It is easier to radicalise youth and the same is being carried out at a furious pace. Today in Kashmir valley, local youths with multiple Facebook accounts, Twitter handles, YouTube accounts & blogs are creating fake, morphed, and edited content, based on situations with the backing of Pakistan-based based organisations. An entire system is involved in polluting the minds, which regularly publish separatist and extremist material. These curated content and provocative pictures are tweeted and retweeted at a large scale every day to fuel the anti-India sentiment. Encrypted platforms like Whats app, Telegram, Skype, Signal, Tik Tok and other Chinese social media platforms are being used by terrorists as well as locals to communicate. Being secure applications with servers spread across the world and no real-time monitoring, these are posing an altogether different challenge to maintaining peace and harmony in the valley. With the click of a button, a fake message spreads to thousands. With no authentic source for fact-checking, such messages lead to corrupting the minds of people and destabilising society, and affecting daily lives including business, education, and other society-building measures.
First, a robust anti-infiltration grid with improved surveillance, strong kinetic measures, and tough resolve by the government against infiltration led to a drastic reduction of cross-border terrorism including the induction of foreign terrorists by Pakistan. Second, with increased pressure from United Nations, the drying up of funds due to action by FATF & problems faced by Pakistan along the Afghanistan border have made cross-border infiltration, a costly affair. Therefore, to keep terrorism & instability alive in the valley, Pakistan has started using social media, which is a cost-effective solution to radicalise youth & support terrorism. In contrast to former militants, a new generation of militants are tech savvy & use the internet as a weapon. With the expansion of the internet & social platforms, the identities of locals, terrorists, and non-state actors have blurred. Social media platforms are the weapons of these terrorists. Assistance to them is provided by Pakistan-based & sponsored special organisations, engaged in fueling disinformation campaigns in the valley to radicalise youths towards terrorism & influencing the opinions of locals against the Indian government and forces. Social Media based Information Warfare has evolved as a non-kinetic weapon with far-reaching effects as against conventional methods. Thus, it can be said that Pakistan is using it as a counterbalance against India’s superiority in conventional warfare. The same can be gauged by the increased frequency of the Pak-sponsored information campaigns being run in the valley.
After the abrogation of Article 370 and strong steps taken by the government, normalcy is returning to the valley and people in the valley have also started to feel it. Certain sections with vested interest are still engaged in spreading false propaganda in the valley, which is a cause of concern as these campaigns are run by using social media with support from Pakistan-based organisation to keep Kashmir burning preventing any constructive development. Today, Kashmiri youth needs to introspect about their future needs, whether it is in education, industries, healthcare, governance, and fruitful development of Kashmir valley or campaigning against the government and supporting fake propaganda which pave way for violence and instability. To ensure the development of Kashmir and prevent misleading Kashmiris, own social media campaigns have also intensified in recent years to counter false narratives. Incidents like, the death of tourists near Murree Cantt during heavy snowfall in winter were highlighted wherein the Pakistan Army did not show any concern for their population in contrast to the Indian Army's effort during floods and avalanches in Kashmir to protect and rehabilitate affected locals. Issues like these have been highlighted to showcase the true image of the Indian Government vis-a-vis Pakistan towards concerns of locals in Kashmir, which has brought to the fore real agenda and concern of Pakistan towards Kashmir. Internet censorship aids in preventing misinformation campaigns during critical situations. However, its implementation during emergency situations becomes a national and international controversy. The involvement of local leaders in this regard is very important as these blackouts are aimed at curbing the misinformation campaigns, not against the local populace. High-speed swarming and dense traffic of millions of devices and their users make the task of monitoring agencies very difficult. Therefore, at times complete internet blackouts are resorted to.
The need of the hour is to make people aware of the real facts and to highlight the fake campaigns. Dedicated Information Warfare cells with specialised and trained manpower are needed for the same. Ad hocism in this aspect cannot be continued because the entire process requires sustained effort over a period of time. Since influencing minds & opinions is more challenging than employing kinetic measures; radicalised youth pose a bigger challenge to society than anything else. Thus, there is a requirement for locals and intelligentsia of the valley with an understanding of the local pulse, part of the same community & locality to contribute to the identification of the mala fide agenda of Anti-National elements & thwart it. Choking digital funding will also help in curbing cross-border social media accounts. In addition, strict rules for the purchase of SIM & internet facilities & fast-tracking cases of cyber offenders will send a stern message to violators. In this regard, MoUs with private service providers containing fake profiles/ messages/ online activities with subversive threats will strengthen our own campaign.
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