‘Civil Society’ is an essential part of any country, working mainly for the upliftment of underprivileged people in multiple fields, including health and education. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are supposed to function as ruled-based entities to help a nation’s overall development. However, it has been observed that not many civil society elements have been working towards the stated goals. Instead, they have been using a veil of social service to do or promote activities detrimental to the stability and security of India, and our nation is currently facing many subversive activities from Civil Society.
India, like other countries in the world, has prescribed a Legal Framework to regulate Civil Society and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), like the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 and Section 2(15) of the Income Tax (IT) Act, 1961 for Tax Exemptions. This has been done to avoid misuse of funds for creating disturbances in the country, funding terrorism, or Money Laundering.
Further, Registration has been mandatory for any foreign organisation establishing its branch in India or any CSO receiving grants from a foundation, Government or company- based in India or abroad. The Government of India has retained the Power to revoke the Registration of any CSO or NGO, subject to certain specific conditions, including misuse of foreign contributions for activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.
Current Situation
Many civil society organisations in India are noncompliant with laws. Some major organisations violating the prescribed rules include Oxfam’s educational and other NGOs, Amnesty International, Center for Policy Research, etc. It is important to note that more than 120 CSOs/NGOs have been banned for their anti-India activities, and more than 6800 CSOs/NGOs have been under FCRA watch due to misuse of funds and breaking the legal provisions.
Deep State and Civil Society/Non-Governmental Organisations
The most important facet of misuse of Civil Society is by the Deep State Actors (many times with foreign origin) to destabilise a targeted country or trigger a regime change there. Such entities- which operate with impunity to destabilise legitimate governments are known as “deep state elements”. The foreign deep state entities work on their hidden agendas using local agencies.
The deep state elements have been found to recruit a specific person- elected or unelected, local politicians, influential persons, organisations, and institutions to act as the Front end to do their dirty work, clandestinely funding them. Deep State elements have also used many proven toll kits to activate their game plan of destabilising the country. One of the important processes involved Public Relations campaigns to strengthen the position of the chosen person, build a larger-than-life image of him/her and project him/her as the Messiah for the Poor, Downtrodden, Farmers, Workers, etc –in short, ‘One in All – for All Ills’. Finding similarities with some of the recent happening in India should not be a difficult task.
In addition, the funded CSOs ran and have been running mass campaigns, using local support. to paint the existing Government as ineffective, corrupt, and damaging to the country’s economic and military security. Efforts are also being made to paint government policies, programs, and reforms against the common man’s interests. Important projects have been criticised as non-environment-friendly and tented with corruption. Massive protests have been encouraged to effectively stall these projects. Deep State elements have also resorted to running maligning campaigns against the LeaderLeader- heading the Government, calling him Tana-shah, Hitler, Power-hungry, against the interest of the masses et al.
The deep state has kick-started its destabilising India game plan by deploying paid local entities to question the legitimacy of the Government, thus undermining the authority of the elected leader. They have also been encouraging sabotage (efforts to cause railway accidents, hoax bomb scares for flights) to undermine people’s confidence in the governance and create unrest. Some examples of other countries using such activities are Georgia, Venezuela, and Ukraine.
In a more recent happening, the hands of foreign diplomats of a powerful country and its Administration have been suspected of causing regime change in Bangladesh, using Students’ Protests as a front. Those specific foreign diplomats have been seen to be active in India too and meeting various political and religious leaders- certainly too much for a coincidence!
Therefore, examining the connection between the deep state and civil society activities in India would be important for a better appreciation of the situation.
Civil Society- Nefarious Activities in India
Broad Outline
In foreign-sponsored but locally supported subversive campaigns, many tenets of civil society have been used. They involved four main strategies:
- Viz. intervention
- Interference in domestic affairs
- Intelligence operations
- Soft Power through the cultivation of elites and opinion-makers
These methods, reminiscent of historical governance disturbance tactics, remain effective even in modern times. Similarly, the Concept of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) has been deployed to create turmoil in an internal environment.
Some examples of such activities are the US’s use of mass media to blame India for the so-called deterioration in democracy, religious intolerance, etc. and China’s use of Indian social media to create many fake narratives, including blaming India for the tense border situation, transgressions in Arunachal Pradesh, claiming the Indian territory as its own. Some other examples of current worrisome activities that have happened or happening in India now cover:
Use of NGOs/ Political Parties to pressurise Governments during Pandemics, Disasters, Riots, Mass Protests, etc.: Many entities, including US vaccine manufacturers and Indian political leaders, had exerted pressure on the Indian Government for importing mRNA anti-Covid vaccines, despite suppliers asking for complete liability waiver. Indian Government, however, did not buckle under pressure. Otherwise, many Indian citizens could have been affected by the mRNA-caused medical disasters- Americans are facing now. The organisations that were pressurising the Government then are now keeping mum.
Use of Mass Media (for Generic Manipulation of Information): This activity is rampant. Hindenburg and various other reports against specific Indian Institutions like SEBI, Human Rights violations, and Suppressed Freedom of Speech are all part of the inflammatory toolkit. Some examples of media use for Spread of Misinformation, which triggered protests, pertain to Shahin Bagh (CAA) and Farmers’ Protest (Farm Laws ). Many student associations and bodies in India were influenced and enticed to support Shain Bagh and the framers’ Protests.
Information warfare: Instances of Information Warfare being waged through misuse of CSOs, media, entertainment channels, and cultural/ educational/ religious/Political channels have also been observed, supported by a spy agency from a neighbouring country / an open foundation and a Network in India.
Espionage by the state actors: Investigations have shown that the National Security Agency of a powerful nation has been snooping on the phones and emails of BRICS leaders, especially from India.
Legal Warfare through Misinformation Campaign: Legal Warfare misinformation campaign has also been implemented in India. To cite an example, some Indian Leaders had openly said that they had no hope of getting justice from the Hon Supreme Court. Ironically, the same people run to the SC with multiple PILs and cases against everything on the earth. Further, the Indian Legal system is being jeopardised by sponsored media trials and a barrage of Public Interest litigation by paid agencies. Courts in India have taken note of such activities.
Trade Warfare: This has been waged through unfair trade practices. Trade warfare being waged through private players authorised by governments issuing ‘letters of marque’ has been documented; withholding or delaying the supply of critical materials/spares also falls in this category.
Technology Warfare: This pertained to technology denial through commercial entities or sabotage of indigenous projects. There is proof that India was denied a range of technologies, including nuclear, electronics, rockets, and advanced metallurgy.
Media Warfare: The infamous intense media warfare is fought through the bought-out networks, Press et al.—for interventions in democratic elections, domestic events, important projects, etc. In 2021, a news portal in India was investigated for allegedly having ties with the Chinese Government. New York Times investigation had unearthed a network of activist groups, nonprofit organisations, shell companies, and their close ties to Chinese propaganda. In the case of the US, India strongly protested against the US administration and media criticism both in the US and India, about the arrest of a suspect political leader in Delhi, a purely internal matter of the nation.
Political warfare: A classic example of this is that a foreign owner of an open foundation ( also a proven India baiter) functioning in India has interfered in Lok Sabha elections, with the sole aim of defeating the ruling regime. Similarly, a foreign Promoter of a Network India has been actively involved in various destabilising activities in India, under the garb of social service. This network has decided to wind up its operations in India when investigations have been launched, strengthening doubts about its real objectives.
Misuse of Educational Institutions: This is an important aspect that needs to be studied by examining the activities of entities like Harvard and Pulitzer Center’s efforts to destroy the Indian system. Many of Harvard’s ideas have entered Indian government organisations and businesses. They have started with a subtle introduction to Critical Race Theory (CRT) in India. These Harvard Cohorts are now transforming CRT into Critical Cast Theory (CCT) and applying it to India. Applying Western Critical Race Theory in the convoluted form of Cortical Cast Theory in India will be impractical and create chaos. Unfortunately, many Indian entities are helping and funding this endeavour to Break India from the top down. Here, structural casteism is being blamed for all kinds of social, cultural and political challenges India is facing.
Furthermore, to dismantle social abuse, the strong position being advocated by CCT is that Hinduism, the Indian family system and the merit-based system all need to be dismantled. This new social theory is popularly called Wokeism. This Wokeism of Harvard-trained intellectuals will destroy the very cultural fabric of our nation. These foreign elements and their stooges in India need to be stopped dead in their tracks.
Civil Society and Other Countries
It has been observed that countries like China, the UK, and the USA are facing a civil society menace. They started muzzling civil society organisations by using a widening array of threats. New restrictions on protest and attacks on freedom of expression have been imposed in recent years, particularly at the state level. Civil society organisations and activists are encountering legal and political intimidation tactics. While the above countries are clamping on civil society, they are suspected of instigating Civil Society in India against Indian systems and culture and audaciously blame India for restricting the functioning of Civil Society – the best example of their double standards.
Measures India Needs to Put in Place
The analysis above has shown that CSOs and NGOs can be detrimental to the development and security of a country. Activities of Deep State elements and their modus operand of working through various CSOs and other agencies to destabilise India have also been examined. It has emerged that CSOs/NGOs have created problems for the Government. Civil society groups have sometimes challenged the state’s authority and undermined its legitimacy, leading to social unrest and instability.
They have been found to act against our social, cultural, economic and security interests and would like to destroy everything Indian. Thus, we have no choice but to fight this Civil Societal cancer through effective counters. The measures need to be threefold: at the Individual level, at the Collective level and at the National Agencies and governmental level.
At Individual Level:
- Be conscious of the actual domestic and global, geopolitical and economic scenario. Do your study and analysis.
- Do not fall prey to false propaganda and educate the masses with correct facts and figures.
- Rise above cast, creed, colour, religion and inculcate national spirit – always remember ‘Rashtra Hai to hi Ham Hai’ (We will exist only if nation exists).
- Do not allow Bhartiya Sanskruti, culture, ethos, family structure and education systems to be hijacked by Western Culture and associated indoctrination.
At the collective level:
- Do not allow any disruptive politics/religious/fanatical organisations to indoctrinate the young minds or tear the national fabric of Unity in Diversity.
- Report unlawful activities, false propaganda, and misuse of media by any individual, group, or Civil society.
- Be helpful to those in need (as money can be a big lure) and make them understand the dangers posed by unscrupulous Civil Society.
- Cultivate National Spirit and be ready to protect the nation’s honour
- Always help national agencies to protect the dignity of individuals and maintain law and order
- At National Agencies and Governmental Levels:
- Make Registration and audits compulsory for all the elements of Civil Society
- Have strict regulations for control of the inflow and outgo of foreign funds to/from Civil Society
- Make appropriate rules for control of the foreign universities setting up campuses in India and corrupting our Indian education system
- Keep a watch on Indian entities who get involved with foreign organisations to aid and decrease their activities in India
- Control unscrupulous surveys, which falsify data and use that to create disturbances in India or spoil its image.
- Make Law Enforcement agencies watchful of the disruptive activities of civil society and make them accountable for breaches of law and order.
In conclusion, it could be said that the Deep State elements in India are a major cause of worry, and they have been found to work through funded CSOs, NGOs, bought-out people, politicians, mass media, TV broadcasters, Press et al. for destabilising India- both economically and militarily. The Deep State has been funding all these activities through both overt and covert means.
India should also be aware of the dynamic involvement of many Indian political organisations/ billionaires/ institutions who are supporting the deep state elements to serve their vested interests. The recent happenings in Bangladesh should sound like an ominous warning to India, and comprehensive and multi-tiered measures should be implemented to minimise the impact of such destabilising activities on the country’s security and stability.
India is at a critical juncture and cannot afford to be complacent. Sun Tsu’s following words would serve as an apt advice for India:
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle”.
Thus, it would be better for India to be fully vigilant and be victorious.
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