Source: Machado, G., Alaphilippe, A., Adamczyk, R., & Grégoire, A. (2020, December 9). “Indian Chronicles: deep dive into a 15-year operation targeting the EU and UN to serve Indian interests” EU DisinfoLab
EU DisinfoLab is an independent non-profit organisation, EU DisinfoLab gathers knowledge and expertise on disinformation in Europe. Through putting together research, investigative work and policy acumen, EU DisinfoLab is an active member of, and supports, a passionate and vast community that helps to detect, tackle, and prevent information disorders endangering citizens’ integrity, peaceful coexistence and democratic values
Key Facts:
- Duration: A 15-year-long influence operation, active since 2005.
- NGOs: Involved 10+ UN Human Rights Council accredited NGOs, mostly resurrected.
- Deception: Resurrected Prof. Louis B. Sohn (deceased 2006) and committed several identity thefts, including Martin Schulz and James Purnell.
- Media Network: Operated 750+ fake media outlets across 119 countries.
- Domain Names: Registered 550+ domain names.
Short Summary of the Report:
The EU DisinfoLab’s “Indian Chronicles” report exposes a sophisticated, decade-and-a-half-long influence operation, orchestrated by the Srivastava Group and amplified by Asian News International (ANI). This extensive network has systematically exploited international institutions, resurrected defunct NGOs and media, and created fake identities to propagate pro-Indian and anti-Pakistan (and to a lesser extent, anti-China) narratives globally. The operation’s primary goals are to undermine India’s adversaries, enhance India’s international perception, and garner support from bodies like the EU and UN, often by co-opting human rights and minority causes. The investigation highlights the pervasive nature of this disinformation, its methods, and its significant impact on policy-making and public discourse.
Unmasking the ‘Indian Chronicles’: A 15-Year Global Disinformation Campaign
Brussels, Geneva – A comprehensive investigation by the EU DisinfoLab has unveiled “Indian Chronicles,” a vast and sustained disinformation operation spanning 15 years, meticulously designed to serve Indian geopolitical interests by undermining rival nations, primarily Pakistan. The operation, active since 2005, leverages a complex web of resurrected media, defunct think-tanks, and seemingly legitimate non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to manipulate international institutions and public opinion.
The EU DisinfoLab’s findings, detailed in their report ‘Indian Chronicles: deep dive into a 15-year operation targeting the EU and UN to serve Indian interests’, garnered significant attention, with major newspapers and organizations worldwide covering the revelations, including Al-Jazeera, BBC, Dawn, IPRI, Express Tribune.
The findings reveal an astonishing scale: over 750 fake media outlets operating in 119 countries, the resurrection of more than 10 UN Human Rights Council-accredited NGOs, and the registration of over 550 domain names. Disturbingly, the campaign went as far as resurrecting deceased individuals, notably Professor Louis B. Sohn, a prominent human rights figure who passed away in 2006, to seemingly participate in UN meetings years after his death. Identity thefts of prominent figures like former European Parliament President Martin Schulz were also documented.
A Calculated Strategy of Influence
At its core, “Indian Chronicles,” led by the Srivastava Group and amplified by India’s Asian News International (ANI), aims to achieve two main objectives: domestically, to foster pro-Indian and anti-Pakistan (and anti-Chinese) sentiments, and internationally, to bolster India’s image while damaging the reputations of its adversaries, thereby securing greater support from international bodies like the EU and the UN.
The operation’s methodology is multifaceted:
- Exploiting NGOs and Think-Tanks: The network supports and, more often, resurrects dormant UN-accredited NGOs and creates opaque think-tanks in Brussels and Geneva. These entities, often with unrelated original missions (such as the “Canners International Permanent Committee” reborn to discuss human rights), are used to lobby, organize demonstrations, and secure speaking slots at the UN Human Rights Council, all while advancing Indian narratives.
- Manipulating European Parliamentarians: In Brussels, the Srivastava Group orchestrated the creation of informal groups within the European Parliament (e.g., “South Asia Peace Forum,” “Baloch Forum”). They arranged trips for MEPs to sensitive regions like Kashmir, often presenting these as official EU delegations despite their unofficial nature. Fake EU magazines, like “EP Today” and its successor “EU Chronicle,” served as “honeypots” to attract MEPs to sign pro-Indian articles, frequently under the guise of supporting minority or women’s rights.
- Content Amplification and Distortion: Content generated in Brussels and Geneva is then repackaged, often distorted, and extensively amplified by ANI. This material subsequently proliferates through a network of over 500 fake local media outlets under the “Big News Network” and “World News Network” umbrellas across 95 countries, ensuring widespread dissemination and repetition of negative narratives concerning Pakistan and China. The primary target audience for this amplified content appears to be Indian nationals.
Echoes of a Previous Exposure
The modus operandi of “Indian Chronicles” closely mirrors patterns observed in a previous EU DisinfoLab investigation into “EP Today,” including the extensive use of student interns, resurrection of shuttered organizations and deceased persons, reliance on virtual office addresses, misrepresentation of MEPs’ views, and the maximization of negative online content about Pakistan. The operators also strategically registered over 550 domain names, some appearing to be cyber-squatted domains intended to pre-empt potential Pakistani use in “cyberwarfare.”
The campaign’s impact is significant, influencing European and international policy-making, instigating demonstrations, and even leading to diplomatic incidents, such as the convocation of the Swiss ambassador by the Pakistani government due to “free Baluchistan” posters in Geneva.
A Call for Greater Scrutiny
Despite the initial exposure in 2019, “Indian Chronicles” has persisted, even launching new fake outlets like “EU Chronicle.” The EU DisinfoLab emphasizes that this continuation underscores an urgent need for robust frameworks to sanction actors who abuse international institutions. They advocate for greater scrutiny of search engine manipulation through content repetition and call for increased transparency in domain name registration information, which is critical for disinformation researchers.
The EU DisinfoLab clarifies that its investigations are driven by observed disinformation patterns, not political agendas. While acknowledging that their work might be utilized by interested parties, they stress that the presence of one side’s dodgy influence campaigns does not preclude the existence of others. Their report serves to illuminate the tactics used by Indian stakeholders to advance their interests, emphasizing that “there is no such thing as good disinformation.”
You can read or download the summary of our EU DisinfoLab investigation as well as the full report by clicking on these links: Executive Summary | Full Report
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