SINCE the Chief of General Staff Gen Anil Chauhan mentioned ‘Grey Zone War’ while speaking about new wars during the thought-provoking Raisina Dialogues, discussions are taking place about the concept and how adversaries are applying it against India. The discussions at military and related levels about the non-military domain of ‘Grey Zone Strategy’ should be expanded to popular discourse because people are at the centre of this particular strategy. They are the ones who are influenced to unknowingly become foot-soldiers of the adversary against their own country. Not exactly in the dark zone of war and white zone of peace, ‘Grey Zone Strategy’ may be applied in the form of cyber attacks, economic blockades, sanctions, short-triggered agitations or protests by a network of various organisations, reducing space for the target country at international forums etc. The target country cannot blame the adversary directly because people or entities carrying out such attacks cannot be linked to another country. For instance, despite being known adversaries of India, each of the nefarious activities carried out by elements supported clandestinely by Pakistan and China cannot be linked to these countries at international forums.

 

The ‘Deep State’ in the US, or the Soviet Russia have been accused of such activities for regime change or geopolitical domination. The spate of agitations or protests and their fast spread across the country reflect that the forces unhappy with India’s global rise and increase in economic and military power appear to be partly successful in exerting influence over certain segments of Indians as part of ‘Grey Zone Strategy’. The biggest tools for these adversaries are the academics, Internet, and the content industry (films, books, publications, web-series, social media feeds etc). Though the Government could identify some of these elements and restrict those, there is no doctrinal thought available to people to counter this. In the past, India has lost some such wars, like in Vijayanagaram. That the armies lost a battle was one dimension, but the society lost the war because that concealed (proxy) warfare eroded its mental resolve to stay united.

 

The larger society fell victim to falsehood, propaganda, crafty narrative.When Khilji came charging on Maharashtra, he had only a few thousand men. But be spread the word that a much larger army was on the way as a solid back-up. The Yadava dynasty’s army lost its candour and fled much before Khilji’s back-up army ever came.These were the early versions of ‘Grey Zone Strategy’, so to say. India is blessed with a strong foundation of the common cultural roots. The other countries see potential for identity politics in diversity of language, region, food, clothes, economic status, social structures, cultural practices, but India sees potential for peaceful co-existence. To fail the ‘Grey Zone Strategy’ being applied against India, people must understand this.

 

Once they feel proud of their ancestry and heritage, treat diverse sets of people with respect, become more enthusiastic about contributing to achieving national objectives, they will become better equipped to resist anti-India influences. People firmly rooted in commitment to the cause of India will never fall prey to attempts of the adversaries to create social, political, ideological, cultural, educational, economic, and belief dysphoria. They will never become an influenced haystack of people that can get charged up at the slightest of triggers. Their commitment to Indian national objectives can never be supplanted by the adversary’s narratives.They will never become the mules, the perpetrators, and the victims in the ‘Grey Zone Strategy’. Though this is a challenging task in the era of weaponisation of information, it is not impossible. For developing consciousness of right and wrong causes, the principles of ‘Mimansa’ and ‘Nyay Shastra’ must be embedded into educational curriculum. The immense value of ‘Mimansa’ is in developing a sense of proper interpretation of texts to resolve scientifically the conflict between the texts and the intent.

 

If this sense is developed, the younger Indians will be able to see through the smokescreens created with the help of deliberately produced unscientific literature. Similarly, the need for having introduction to ‘Nyay Shastra’ is essential to develop logical thinking and harbour a spirit of enquiry about anything written or spoken, on the touchstone of logic. This will help people see through superficial and propagandist promotion of unIndian values, and pick up only those beneficial to the larger cause, after logical enquiry. Sadly, patternised study of subjects by aping foreign educational concepts distorts the rich repository of Indian wisdom. It does not build a strong spiritual and nationalist construct in an individual. Retelling of stories of Indian heroes with thoughtful interpretation may develop strategic thinking in society because the present challenge is to India’s strategic culture. For, when a war is waged in undefined theatres such as every possible zone of the larger society, daring its sense of collective well-being, challenge is to the people’s ability to hold the security perceptions together without allowing cracks into the social edifice.

 

For, here, weapons are different and there are no traditional warriors. Yet, what is under threat is the nation’s sense of security, its sense of self-worth, and its vision of its cumulative wellness. India is currently facing such a war on its sense of security, dignity, and sovereignty. In other words, this war is being slapped on the greyest zone of existence. Call it ‘Grey Zone Strategy’ -- in line with what experts say. It is daring the country’s strategic culture. But, war it is very much -- fought differently. The nation has to fight it with all its might, and intelligence to discern propaganda from facts. This collective consciousness can help India negotiate the blacks and greys to reach the state of overall peace and prosperity.