Propaganda and disinformation campaigns are potent weapons that shatter the morale of the enemy. In the Mahabharata, the disinformation campaign that Ashwatthama was killed in battle broke the morale of his father Dronacharya. Especially after the news was certified by Yudhishthira, who was known for his truthfulness.
Many of the elder readers might be remembering the picture of Indian soldiers parachuting into Tangail, Bangladesh, during the 1971 war, which was published in several newspapers. That picture is an excellent example of propaganda being used as a weapon.
For more defence news, views and updates, visit: Fortress India
The Pakistani army, anticipating an Indian advance towards Dacca (now Dhaka), had blocked all the highways with tanks and artillery. This forced India’s eastern army commander, Lieutenant-General J.S. Aurora, to order the field commanders to advance through smaller roads and fields, leaving the highways. “Leave the highways; take the byways,” he told them.
However, Lieutenant General Sagat Singh, the head of the division advancing towards Tangail, learned that the enemy was blocking even the narrow paths there. He didn’t want to engage the enemy there and force a breakthrough, since that would delay his advance towards Dacca. At his request, 540 soldiers were airlifted and parachuted behind Tangail, and let it be known to the Indian and world media that a brigade of about 5000 Indian troops had landed. (If the enemy had known there were only 540 soldiers, they would have fought and defeated them.)
ALSO READ: How Napoleon lured an army to frozen death
The news spread worldwide through news agencies. The next morning, the news about a brigade having landed behind Tangail and pictures of soldiers parachuting appeared not only in Indian newspapers but also in newspapers in Washington and London!
What had actually happened was a clever attempt at deception. The defence public relations office in Delhi didn’t receive any picture of troops landing behind Tangail till late in the evening. So, with the permission of the head of operations in Delhi, Public Relations Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Rammohan Rao played a trick. He gave the media a picture of a paradrop exercise that had taken place in Agra a few months earlier. He also provided a caption stating that a whole brigade had landed in Tangail.
Rao knew that the Pakistani leadership might not trust Indian newspapers. So he made it sure that Western newspapers and agencies also received copies of his picture along with the caption. The next morning, even British and American newspapers carried the picture with Rao’s caption about a brigade having landed behind Tangail. Unwittingly, they had become India's Yudhishthiras.
The Pakistani leadership was shocked. They realised they could no longer resist. They withdrew from Tangail without even attempting to fight. Taking advantage of this, Sagat Singh's army advanced from Tangail to Dacca. Within two days, the enemy surrendered.