India is the world's most populous democracy, and a general election in the country is a theoretical impossibility. There are a billion people across a diverse subcontinent and collecting their votes have faced challenges of politics, logistics, violence, economics and law.
This year, there is a new challenge that they have to face, and it is in the form of social media, specifically the WhatsApp application. WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, and this application assisted in spreading hate speeches, disinformation and rumors that are responsible for the deaths and violence in India.
Experts have indicated in their studies about the impact of social media on Indian cultural, political and social life for almost 20 years. Under the strict protocols of the Election Commission of India, voting is one of the more robust signs of the country's democracy. During the election period, a large number of voters turn out, and most of them are from the poorer segments of the electorate, making the voting process and the results an experiment and an interesting study in the country's politics.
The 2019 parliamentary elections are underway, and it will show the effects of social media in the Indian democratic life. This will also provide information about technological threats to Indian democracy.
The 2014 election caused a riot because of the misuse of social media in the country. This year, social media is used in a more dangerous and uglier fashion. The Bharatiya Janata Party, a group known for exploiting the political power in India, has its own official application which is filled with inflammatory propaganda and disinformation about non-Hindus. The contents are posted by supporters and party members. WhatsApp is used to disseminate disinformation and rumors to spark doubt and fear among the people, particularly those who are seen as the outsiders.
This connects to the party's main message, that Hindus should have the first claim over the country and that India should be a Hindu nation culturally instead of having a secular state that is governed by a diverse range of people. The opposition party, the Congress Party, seems to lack the level of skills and reach that Bharativa Janata's party have in using social media as a weapon.
Online, the supporters of the Bharativa Janata Party are seen as internet trolls who are making the others on edge about violence and that includes the citizens and law enforcement officials.
The danger is real, the misuse of the WhatsApp application has resulted in 30 deaths in the country. Many are not political events but are connected to the fear of outsiders. The messages carry fabricated warnings about outsiders, and they are alleged to come to rural communities to kidnap women and children.
