On the 17th of July, the US Embassy in India informed about its event for Indian social media influences and content creators to learn about boosting social media engagement on social issues and learn about “active citizenship”. However, for this “Influence to Impact” event, the US Embassy chose the YouTuber “DeshBhakt” Akash Banerjee who has earned notoriety for peddling leftist and anti-BJP propaganda.
While on the face of it, all may seem not-so-problematic here, the US Embassy’s promotional content for this event scheduled to be held on the 25th of July, reeks of subtle political interference in India’s internal political discourse.
“Are you a social media influencer or a content creator curious about impactful content that drives real change? Wondering how to boost digital engagement on social issues? Interested in mastering the art of content selection, curation, and promotion? Here’s your chance to learn from the best! Join us at American Center New Delhi for “Influence to Impact” with the dynamic DeshBhakt himself, Akash Banerjee. Deep dive into the world of active citizenship to know how your content can create big ripples in society! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and collaborate with like-minded youth, influencers, and experts in the field. Let’s harness the power of social media for a meaningful change together! Let’s Influence to Impact!,” a Google document shared by the US Embassy in India reads.
An obvious question that comes to one’s mind, is why the US Embassy in India is interested in pushing for what it deems ‘active citizenship’ among Indians. Is it their job to shape public opinions of Indians on the country’s internal issues? Is the US trying to use social media and Indian content creators, particularly those opposed to the ruling dispensation to meddle in India’s affairs, since the Modi government does not entertain any direct foreign intervention in the country’s issues?
This, however, is not the first time that the US Embassy in India has promoted a leftist and anti-BJP/Modi propagandist. It is apparently becoming a pattern of the US Embassy to pick and promote notorious elements as some kind of heroes for democracy, who literally earn their bread and butter by slandering the ruling dispensation. In March last year, the US Embassy endorsed controversial radio jockey Sayema Rahman for Women’s History Month. Back then, OpIndia reported how the US Embassy’s choice of ‘personality’ for Women’s History Month sparked outrage on social media with people pointing to Sayema’s anti-Hindu, regressive and Islamist views. Despite this, the US Embassy was undeterred from promoting Sayema on their social media handles.
A similar outrage has erupted over picking leftist propagandists like Akash Banerjee for disseminating lessons to Indian content creators on using social media for raising ‘social issues’. The US Embassy’s choice of someone like Akash Banerjee who casually trivialises the brutality suffered by rape victim Nirbhaya, to push his anti-BJP agenda, is alarming. The repeated endorsement of such controversial leftist personalities raises the question if the US wants to “harness” the power of social media for “meaningful change” or to groom Indian influencers into pushing narratives that align with the US’s interests.
Suffering from the “Big boss” syndrome, the US has a history of meddling in the internal affairs of various countries including India. In the last few years, the US has faced allegations of interfering in the political affairs and elections of India, Bangladesh and some other countries. US government bodies have over the years been trying to target the Modi government by issuing biased reports over human rights, hate speech, ‘minorities’ and whatnot by relying on leftist propaganda sources. Moreover, at times the US government had directly issued statements intervening in India’s domestic policy issues in the garb of raising ‘deep concerns’.
A prime example of this was seen when the US State Department issued statements supporting the farmers’ protests against the three farm laws in India. The Modi government had then deemed this as unwarranted interference in India’s internal policy issues. Other than this, US lawmakers had also raised their ‘concerns’ during the 2019 ant-CAA protests and even called the humanitarian law ‘discriminatory’. Other than this, when the Modi government abrogated Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the US House of Representatives held a hearing on human rights in Kashmir.
Interestingly, Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India has time and again made direct comments on India’s domestic issues. A recent example of this was seen when Garcetti pontificated on the Manipur violence and made sanctimonious remarks about the situation in the Indian state. Recently, Garcetti launched a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and went so far as to threaten ties with Western powers over his Russia visit. He said that India likes its strategic autonomy, however, no such thing exists during a conflict. Apparently, the US does not really like the Indian government led by PM Modi asserting India’s strategic autonomy instead of turning into the US’s puppet. It must be noted that for Western powers like America, India is a key ally in countering the growing Chinese influence, however, these powers prefer a weak government in India, unlike the Modi government and hold its reins in their hands.
Since these measures have largely failed to deter the Modi government from altering its major policy decisions, the US administration apparently, is exploring novel tactics to subtly influence opinions in India and other countries without essentially appearing to be overtly interventionist.
US Embassy in India recruiting “fact checkers” with a budget of $200,000.
Other than promoting leftist and anti-Modi/BJP propagandists, the US Embassy in India has also launched a program to recruit and train “fact-checkers.” The “Empowering Media Savvy Youth” project with a budget of $200,000, they claim intends to “confront the growing menace of online manipulation and reinforce regional security” and combat “external influences”. Will the US government be fine with the Indian Embassy in the US launching similar initiatives in the US to promote media and information literacy as well as critical thinking in the garb of strengthening Indo-US ties?
The United States’ interference in India’s domestic affairs through its embassy and attempts to influence public opinion in the name of bolstering ties is deeply problematic and undermines India’s sovereignty. Such actions are seen as an overreach of diplomatic norms and can create distrust and resentment among the Indian populace. The US should respect India’s right to sovereignty and refrain from meddling in its internal matters. This neo-colonial behaviour of influencing public opinion through diplomatic channels erodes the foundation of mutual respect and cooperation that should underpin bilateral relations. Instead, the U.S. should focus on fostering genuine partnerships based on equality and non-interference.
Biden administration paying influencers to shape favourable public opinion
Using social media and influencers has become a staple of the narrative-building strategies employed by political parties across the world, especially during election times. In this vein, the Biden administration has reportedly paid several popular influencers to build a favourable narrative ahead of the presidential elections in the country.
The Biden administration’s strategy of paying influencers to help with the upcoming election is driven by a need to engage young voters, who increasingly receive their news and form opinions through social media, ditching the legacy/mainstream media. The Democratic National Committee has developed a comprehensive digital strategy, enlisting approximately 150 influencers to promote pro-Biden content across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc. A report by The Conversation says that these influencers are being paid over $1 million to publish and promote pro-Biden content.
Notably, the use of influencers aims to reach demographics that traditional political advertisements might miss, particularly young or first-time voters. Influencers, with their popularity and reach, can subtly integrate political messaging into their content, making it appear more authentic and relatable. This approach also leverages the personal connection influencers have with their fans/followers, potentially swaying opinions and encouraging favourable political engagement in a seemingly organic manner, even if it may be legally and ethically questionable. Incidentally, the speculations are rife about pop sensation Taylor Swift endorsing Joe Biden in this presidential election. She had endorsed Biden in 2020 as well.
It is interesting to note that even the American intelligence agency CIA increasingly utilised social media and pop culture to influence public opinion, both domestically and internationally. Reports suggest that this shift aligns with the evolving digital landscape where social media platforms dominate information dissemination and influence. Engaging in pop culture topics allows the CIA to blend into mainstream narratives, making their presence less conspicuous while effectively reaching a broader audience.
