There is a war in India. It is not one of tanks or missiles, but a war of ideologies, vested interests, and invisible puppeteers manipulating the strings of democracy from behind the curtains of power. It is a war that doesn’t make the front pages of newspapers, but its consequences are deeply felt across every institution in India — from the judiciary to the media, from academia to bureaucracy. This war is being waged by the Indian Deep State, and its mission is unambiguous: unseat Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Let us first understand what the term “Deep State” implies in the Indian context. It is not a foreign intelligence term imported into our vocabulary; rather, it is a reality that has existed in different forms since Independence. The Indian Deep State is a nexus of entrenched bureaucrats, compromised journalists, politically motivated NGOs, foreign-funded think tanks, break-India academia, and a few rogue elements in the judiciary and police forces — all aligned against the democratic mandate of the people when it goes against their self-interest.
When Modi rose to power in 2014, he wasn’t just another prime minister. He was — and still is — the most formidable disruptor the post-colonial elite had ever encountered. A man from humble beginnings who challenged the Lutyens consensus, who broke the monopoly of entitlement, who refused to play the puppet to power brokers in Delhi. That made him a threat — not to democracy, but to the ecosystem that survived and thrived on the manipulation of democratic structures.
The Deep State is not a figment of conspiratorial imagination. It is real, structured, and strategic. Its operatives are not declared enemies; they often wear the cloak of neutrality — calling themselves “liberals”, “intellectuals”, “civil society”, or “activists.” But their playbook is clear: delegitimize the Prime Minister, weaponize dissent, internationalize internal matters, and infiltrate institutions to block reforms and discredit popular governance.
Take the recent episodes around India’s electoral process — cries of EVM manipulation with zero evidence, global op-eds questioning India’s democratic credibility, or the orchestrated campaigns linking government action with suppression of dissent. These are not isolated coincidences. They are part of a broader, deeper narrative war aimed at breaking the trust between the people and their leader.
Look at the pattern.
When Modi speaks of “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India), the Deep State scoffs and amplifies narratives of economic despair, often peddled by global media outlets with questionable objectivity. When India launches digital public goods like Aadhaar, UPI, or ONDC, the Deep State calls it surveillance capitalism. When the Modi government cracks down on foreign NGOs that violate FCRA norms, the Deep State cries authoritarianism. When India talks of One Nation, One Election to rationalize governance, the Deep State declares it fascist centralization.
They are not challenging the policies per se. They are challenging the authority of a democratically elected leader to implement them. Because the Modi Model isn’t just a governance model — it is a shift in power from the entitled elite to the empowered citizen.
Let us not forget what Modi’s leadership represents. He is not the son of a political dynasty. He is not a product of elite institutions. He rose through the grassroots, through the rough terrain of Indian politics, facing vilification and vileness every step of the way. Yet, he never succumbed to the temptation of compromise. He confronted the cabals and cartels that ran this nation like a fiefdom. And in doing so, he exposed the Deep State’s most dangerous vulnerability: irrelevance.
The Deep State thrives when India is weak, fractured, and disoriented. Modi’s idea of a confident, secure, and assertive Bharat goes against every blueprint the Deep State has nurtured since the Nehruvian days. They miss the days when foreign policy was dictated by colonial hangovers, when economic policy was outsourced to ivory tower economists, and when media houses could blackmail governments for lucrative deals.
So how does the Deep State operate today?
First, through narrative control. You’ll notice that a handful of digital media platforms and legacy newsrooms run daily hit-jobs on the Modi government. Misinformation is amplified, facts are distorted, and half-truths are presented as gospel. Awards are returned, letters are written to foreign institutions, and communal flashpoints are deliberately stoked to paint a picture of unrest.
Second, through institutional sabotage. Strategic leaks, selective activism, judicial overreach, and bureaucratic inertia are all tools used to delay or dilute reforms. Whether it’s farm laws, CAA, or educational changes — the resistance is not always from the streets. It comes from file notings, footnotes, and carefully planted legal roadblocks.
Third, through foreign collusion. Certain Western NGOs, academic outfits, and think tanks — often with a track record of anti-India sentiment — have openly supported narratives that align with the Deep State. Whether it’s funding protests, influencing diaspora opinion, or lobbying through international forums — they act as the international arms of the domestic resistance.
Finally, there is the electoral assault. The Deep State knows it cannot beat Modi in a fair election. So it tries to discredit the very system that enabled his rise. From pushing for unverifiable paper ballots to calling the Election Commission compromised, they seek to delegitimize any Modi victory before it even happens.
Make no mistake — the Deep State is in panic mode. Because they realize 2024 was not the end; it was the beginning of a deeper shift. India is not just changing governments. It is changing gear. The citizens are no longer passive voters — they are stakeholders in a new India that no longer tolerates politics of entitlement or appeasement.
But what should we, the people of this nation, do?
We must stay vigilant. Every time a narrative is pushed, ask who benefits. Every time an institutional decision seems suspect, question the motives. Every time foreign platforms paint India in poor light, follow the funding.
And most importantly, we must protect our democracy from those who pretend to serve it while undermining it from within.
Modi may be their target, but the real battle is against the will of the Indian people. The Deep State believes that the citizen can be manipulated — that you and I can be gaslit into hating our own progress. But Bharat is waking up.
This is not a call to arms. It is a call to awareness.
India does not need saviors in high places. It needs citizens who can see through the smog of disinformation, who can distinguish between dissent and destruction, and who can hold accountable not just the government — but the ecosystem that hides in plain sight.
The Deep State wants to unseat Modi. The people must ensure they unseat the Deep State.
Because this war — silent, sinister, and strategic — is not about one man. It’s about the soul of Bharat.
And Bharat must win.
