A careless moment. A reckless statement. A slip of the text. A step too soon. A pre-mature celebration. Call it what you may but the Arnab Goswami revelations are a landmine explosive. It’s a breach. It’s a hack. It’s a leak. Call it what you may but it is a disaster for India. Indian media is going hysterical over the Arnab Goswami Whatsapp content but more on other issues than the national security intrigue. Pakistan media is breaking it as an Indian exposé but they do not have the practice to blow it up the way their Indian counterparts do. Will it wither away as one more faux pas of a belligerent anchor or will it become an opening of many other Indian nefarious designs is the question that needs to be asked and answered.

India has mastered the art of fake news manufacturing. The DisInfo Lab revelations laid bare a 20-year-old network of networks upon networks upon networks that were dedicated year after year after year to create noise and voice for a narrative that Indian government had storyboarded about Pakistan. The network was the most slick operation of global endorsements of the highest level through Harvard, the EU and UN virtually true accreditations. The fact that the Harvard professor who researched and said all those nasty findings about Pakistan was actually dead did not register to the world. Who has the time and commitment to go and trace layer upon layer of deceit packaged beautifully under brand names of US think tanks and supported passionately by “almost” authentic global NGOs and institutions.

Modi’s India has desecrated Indian secularism and has openly embraced majoritarian philosophy. Majoritarian philosophy is about the dominance of one religion, race or culture in such a manner that minorities become marginalized and insignificant. Thus the Hindutva philosophy is what dominates the mindset, the policymaking and the state behaviour of India. Kashmir has traditionally been whipped by Indian state. It is the open and flagrant hate and violence against Muslims within India and other minorities that is the highlight of the present Indian regime. India’s true face is now becoming hard to mask as the cracks are now being exposed not just by Pakistan but by European institutions, British Parliament and Americans themselves. The “New India” or the “Old India” without its mask has a threefold dilemma:

1. The Big Bully- As an ex Ambassador aptly said “India is a big country but not a great country”. Being big is a huge advantage but not being great is a disadvantage. India has always had disputes with its neighbours. Pakistan is of course the main target but its relationship with China, with Nepal, with Nepal and presently with Bangladesh is just short of being derogatory. Its coziness with Afghanistan was mainly driven by the common “hate Pakistan” agenda.

Recommendation- India is big and an attractive ally for a foil to China for the USA and its allies. However, China is bigger and Pakistan’s ally. Pakistan has and should cultivate support relationships in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, etc. By having an inclusive policy in CPEC and BRI, etc., for the neighbouring countries Pakistan can jointly counter India’s size advantage. By being a facilitator of trade and joint investment Pakistan can present itself as the platform to all neighbouring countries against India’s arrogance and exclusiveness.

1. The Hate Monger- India’s traditional narrative based on the network of 750 websites had cleverly weaved the tale of two countries. One the modern progressive one and the other the extremist terrorist one. It is only in the last two years when Prime minister Imran Khan started speaking on the similarities between Modi and Hitler that West became interested in the other side of the story.

Recommendation-Pakistan needs to associate itself with Russia and the EU to create a joint strategy against India for defaming and abusing EU platforms. In the report shared by DisInfo Lab there is clear evidence of misuse and faked identities of the EU and UN agencies being used to create false endorsements. Also, Harvard’s name was maligned as a dead professor was attributed a study he never did. There is a need for a joint legal narrative by all affected parties to pursue the cases of defamation and deception. To do so some very astute diplomatic efforts are required to approach the EU corridors to make it a case of joint complainants rather than just a Pakistani effort.

1. Media Infiltration- Modi’s narrative was built on the hysteria created by Indian media fed and bred on anti-Pakistan fodder. He used screaming anchors to create frenzy and panic on the TV about “terror” from Pakistan and then go into the most violent hate-based talk shows. The epitome of all this fake shrill was Arnab Goswami. He was loud, he was screaming and he was hitting Pakistan hard 24/7. Modi’s 2019 electoral campaign was based on “Hate Pakistan” theme. His electoral theme was “Chowkidaar” i.e., guarding against Pakistan’s “terror”. To make that real and present the Pulwama happened and gave Modi a chance to live the theme with the Balakot strike. While the strike failed Indian media created a false euphoria on Pakistan being hit back with severity. The main fabrication of this fake false flag operation and strike was choreographed by Arnab Goswami. The Whatsapp messages reveal it all. Goswami whatsapped, “Bigger than a normal strike. And also on the same time, something major on Kashmir. On Pakistan, the government is confident of striking in a way that people will be elated.”

Recommendation- This is the first time that India’s own media is stunned by this inconvenient truth. Pakistani media must continue to highlight these revelations. International communication forums like UK’s Ofcom that have reprimanded and fined India before for hate speech against Pakistan should be approached with this evidence and other recriminatory videos. A coordinated social media effort to put together Modi Vs Hitler and Goebel Vs Goswami will win over western audience more readily.

The GoswamiGate has opened. Time to capitalize on this by putting our foot and pushing for more space. The space creation requires an integrated political, communication and legal strategy. Pakistan for the first time in decades is being viewed as being on the right side of history. Pakistan for the first time is being perceived as victims of Indian hate. Pakistan for the first time is being treated with reluctant respect. It depends on the statecraft now to turn this into a defining moment of history or let another opportunity become history.

(The writer can be reached at andleeb.abbas1@gmail.com)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021