The illusion of regional stability in South Asia is slowly crumbling under the weight of a relentless, calculated campaign of covert warfare. Behind the façade of democratic diplomacy and economic growth, India has orchestrated a dangerous game of state-sponsored subversion that threatens not just its neighbors but the very fabric of international peace and legal norms. As the world ignores the problem, India is acting aggressively in various parts of the globe, mainly through secret agencies, troops sent to fight in other countries and acts of assassination.
The arrest of Kulbhushan Yadav in Balochistan demonstrated for the world India’s covert activity in Pakistan. Yadav’s story, along with the agents he named, uncovered a large network of Indian intelligence trying to make the region unstable. Operating under the sponsorship of RAW, the main intelligence agency of India such agents have played a key role in stoking unrest, giving funds to radicals and encouraging acts of sabotage in Pakistan. Using the regions around Pakistan’s borders with Afghanistan and Iran, a campaign is working to create divisions inside the nation.
As India is connected with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which is a proscribed terror organization, this strategy becomes even clearer. While India is known as a victim of terrorism in the world, inside the region it has been attached to groups and personalities that disturb regional peace. Indian handlers are said to have given weapons, financial support and guidance to militants planning to disrupt security in Pakistan’s tribal zones. The proxy war happening under diplomatic pretenses still leads to insecurity along Pakistan’s borders, as the country tries to recover from decades of Afghanistan conflict.
These statements are now being proved true by increasing incidents between countries. Authorities in Qatar found eight Indian naval officials guilty of espionage in 2023 which exposed India’s attempts at intelligence activity in areas outside South Asia. Because of these findings, it is clear that Indian espionage happens, it is formalized by the state and it spreads across many countries. Canada’s claim that Indian agents killed Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar seriously harmed New Delhi’s reputation abroad. In a similar way, a Sikh activist on US soil was nearly murdered and in the UK there are reports of Indian surveillance and harassment of Sikh dissidents.
The overview is not over yet. Iran which has generally avoided being involved in South Asian disputes, issued a direct and serious message about Indian intelligence activities in Sistan-Balochistan. This is an example of how the presence in new theatres shows that the intelligence doctrine is ready to go beyond standard geographic barriers. What was once a regional player, India now acts like an aggressive and uncontrolled intelligence agency, trying to control its opponents and crush any opposition.
It is not limited to the standard activities of espionage. India has created a set of methods that uses disinformation, manipulation through the internet and strong-arm tactics in diplomatic negotiations. With the influence of social media and by entering think-tanks, India has endeavored to change global perceptions by showing itself as a democracy attacked and stealthily threatening the rights of other nations. Under the label of diplomacy, India exports a kind of nationalism that is forceful, does not tolerate diversity and ignores pluralism.
The consequences on a broad scale are very worrying. This kind of thing doesn’t happen just because of rogue individuals or mistakes. They are the result of using jingoism and expansionism as central policies. A country that supporting the global rules system cannot also break them by conducting targeted killings, meddling overseas and spreading false information. It is very clear that there is a problem and the results can be disastrous.
In the center of this aggressive stance, countries choose not to discuss and deal with important issues that really matter in the region. By withdrawing the special status unilaterally in Jammu and Kashmir, rejecting help from others to solve water problems and secretly influencing neighboring states, India reflects a wider strategy of being uncompromising. Instead of talking, countries now issue orders, rather than negotiate and they rely on force to get things done. Because these mechanisms do not work like before, there is an increase in doubts and few to no regional collaborations.
In spite of facing constant provocation, Pakistan has insisted on engaging in dialogue and asking for worldwide assistance. It has submitted proof to worldwide conferences, disclosed Indian networks and encouraged various countries to address controversial issues. Even so, many countries in the international community have been fairly unresponsive to these efforts which encourages more aggressive actions. Those same Western governments, often critical of disorder in other places, have to realize that a major ally is operating freely and endangering many countries.
International norms and institutions become credible when all remain accountable all the time. Failure to act on Indian breaking of rules while pressuring others elsewhere creates a double standard that weakens the global leadership. Should India continue without punishments, it makes things clear: any state-backed terrorism is tolerated if that nation is at a certain stage in its country’s growth. This isn’t limited to one area; it is an issue for the whole world.
If there is no challenge, India’s ambitions will not confine themselves to the region. At present, its actions are leading to rising conflicts, further division among people living outside their homeland and acceptance of violence as one of the tools by governments. Since regional balance, the rules of international law and global peace depend on it, India should be held accountable for matters not only for one nation, but for the principles that make peace and justice possible in the world.
