NEW DELHI: DisInfo Lab, a group of individuals who feed on data & research to clean the information space, has uncovered shocking details of a well-orchestrated campaign by several prominent Western organizations to influence the results of India’s recent 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The revelations point to millions of dollars being funnelled into pushing divisive narratives and anti-India propaganda through a network of scholars, activists, and media outlets – all with the apparent aim of swaying the Indian electorate.
At the centre of this controversy is French scholar Christophe Jaffrelot, who appears to have been a pivotal figure in propagating the controversial “caste census” narrative during the election season. Jaffrelot’s rising prominence in the Western media coincided with a massive $385,000 grant from the US-based Henry Luce Foundation (HLF) for a project titled “Muslims in a Time of Hindu Majoritarianism.”
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The HLF’s historical ties to the American deep state raise serious red flags. Founded by Henry Luce, the founder of TIME magazine and a participant in the CIA’s Operation Mockingbird, HLF is currently staffed with former US government officials and works closely with influential think tanks like the Asia Foundation, Council on Foreign Relations, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The exposé reveals that HLF has doled out substantial grants to numerous other organizations known for their anti-India stance, all around 2020-2021 and with funding slated to continue until 2024 – conveniently aligned with India’s election cycle. Recipients include the Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs ($346,000), the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace ($160,000), Human Rights Watch ($300,000), and even fronts linked to radical Islamists and the Pakistani ISI.
The narratives pushed by these HLF-funded entities closely mirror the propaganda that flooded Indian and global media during the elections – from allegations of “Hindu majoritarianism” and “religious nationalism” to claims of “authoritarian repression” and “religious violence.” Even the widely discredited “Hindutva Watch” project found its way into these narratives.
Adding another layer to the controversy is the involvement of billionaire George Soros and his Open Society Foundations (OSF). Many of the same individuals and organizations funded by HLF have also received substantial grants from OSF, creating a powerful nexus seemingly dedicated to maligning India’s image on the global stage.
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Perhaps most concerning is the potential long-term impact of these well-funded narratives. By creating an extensive trail of “scholarly” references and disseminating their propaganda through established media channels, these actors have effectively tarnished India’s written history and ensured that their biased narratives will persist for years to come, potentially even shaping the perspectives of future AI models.
The revelations in this exposé paint a deeply troubling picture of foreign interference in India’s democratic process on an unprecedented scale. As the nation grapples with the implications of these findings, it becomes increasingly clear that preserving the integrity of its electoral system and safeguarding its global reputation will be paramount challenges in the years ahead.