India’s Propaganda Exposed — But What About the People They Blamed?

Rehana Albert June 25, 2025

5 min read

It started with sirens and smoke. The Pahalgam massacre wasn’t just an attack—it was a tragedy wrapped in confusion, grief, and within minutes, accusation.

Before anyone knew the full count of the dead, before any investigation had even begun, the headlines were already written: Pakistan was to blame.

Sketches of suspects appeared on every Indian news channel. There were press briefings, hashtags, and loud anchors yelling for war. There was grief—but there was also theatre. And then, weeks later, the same agency that helped validate the rush to judgment, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), quietly admitted: the intel was speculative. The suspects misidentified. The entire case, premature and flawed.

The propaganda was exposed.

But what about the people it targeted?

The Faces Behind the Finger-Pointing

What happens to a person whose name or face gets flashed across a screen as a terrorist? What happens to their family? Their community?

For many Pakistanis, this wasn’t just another diplomatic showdown. It was personal. Entire neighborhoods in border areas were put on edge. Travelers were profiled. Soldiers were placed on high alert. Young students overseas were suddenly treated with suspicion.

This isn’t the cost of war. This is the cost of a lie.

Modi's Script — Same Drama, Different Scene

We’ve seen this before. Pulwama in 2019. A tragic bombing. A fast-blame game. Airstrikes. A captured pilot. Nationalist euphoria. And then silence. The kind of silence that feels like something is being hidden.

Pahalgam is not an isolated error. It’s a sequel. And like any sequel, the patterns are familiar:

Instant blame.
No forensic evidence.
High-pitched speeches.
Then a slow walk-back once the damage is done.

Only this time, India’s own agency admitted the truth.

The NIA Confession Isn’t Just a Correction — It’s an Alarm

The admission that the suspects were misidentified should have caused an uproar. Instead, it was met with silence. No apology. No accountability. No press briefing from the Prime Minister.

And yet, this single statement from the NIA changed everything:

"The preliminary information could not be corroborated through forensic or human intelligence."

Translation? We acted on guesswork.

Guesswork in a nuclear neighborhood.

Real Consequences in the Real World

What India did wasn’t just misleading. It was dangerous. Fighter jets were mobilized. Threats were exchanged. A diplomatic storm brewed on speculation.

And while the Indian government enjoyed its moment of patriotic high, Pakistan had to clean up the consequences—with diplomacy, restraint, and yet another appeal to international law.

Pakistan Must Speak — But Speak Strategically

This is not the time for outrage. It’s the time for action. The government of Pakistan must move the case to the International Court of Justice. The confession by the NIA must be archived, presented, and pressed into global record.

Not for revenge. But for precedent.

Because the next time this happens—and there will be a next time—the world must be less willing to believe the first lie shouted from a podium.

India’s Propaganda Exposed — But What About the People They Blamed?

When Propaganda Hurts More Than Missiles

There are wounds that don’t bleed. The reputational scars. The diplomatic distrust. The quiet terror a family feels when their loved one is falsely accused on primetime.

Modi’s government didn’t just jump the gun. It aimed it at millions.

And when the trigger misfired, no one stood up to say sorry.