The speed of lies and the slow pace of truth An analysis of National and International politics
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Kishan Sanmukhdas Bhawnani
Contd from previous issue
As the elders have said, "By the time the truth ties its shoelaces, lies have already circled the globe." Therefore, today, with the help of information available in the media, we will discuss the article, "The speed of lies and the slow pace of truth: A thorough and accurate analysis in National and international politics."
Friends, if we first discuss Part 1 : The speed of lies versus the strength of truth, then (1) Why do lies spread so quickly ?-Lies are always sensational and emotional. They incite public emotions, fears, and prejudices. Truth is based on logic and evidence, so its pace is slow. (2) The Enduring Power of Truth-History bears witness that even though lies may spread rapidly, truth always prevails. Gandhiji's Satyagraha, Man-dela's anti-apartheid struggle, and scientific warnings about climate change all demonstrate that truth, though delayed, prevails. (3) Solutions and the Way Forward-Fact-Checking Organizations: Organi- zations like Alt News (India), Snopes (USA), and BBC Fact Check are challenging lies. (4) Various Technological Aspects -(1) Technology: Artificial Intelligence can detect deepfakes and fake news. (2) Education and Awareness: It is important to teach the public media literacy so that they can distinguish between truth and lies.
Friends, if we discuss Part 2 : Understanding the Equation of Truth and Lies in India's National Politics, then (1) Electoral Politics and Fake Narratives-India's democracy is the world's largest, with elections held every five years. Here, lies play a crucial role in shaping the electoral narrative. For example, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, several videos went viral on social media claiming that certain parties would "provide reservations for a particular religion" or "revoke Article 370 in Kashmir." Most of these claims turned out to be false, but these news influenced public opinion in the election environment. The truth came to light when the Election Commission and fact-checking organizations investigated these reports, but by then the impact had already been felt. (2) Farmers' Protests and Misin- formation-The 2020–21 farmers' protests are the most recent example of this phenomenon in Indian politics. The protesters were often described as "Khalis-tani supporters" or "inspired by foreign funding." These rumors spread so rapidly on social media and TV channels that they created confusion among the general public. Later, the Supreme Court and independent reports clarified that the movement was primarily based on genuine concerns of farmers. However, it took months for the truth to emerge.
(3) COVID-19 and Government Claims - The battle between lies and truth was clearly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. During the second wave (2021), the Government stated that there was "no shortage of oxygen and medicines." However, the ground reality was that people were dying in hospitals due to lack of oxygen. False images and statistics were spread in the media to protect the Government's image. The truth later emerged when international media and the Courts exposed the situation. (4) National Security and Rumors - Narratives related to "Pakistan" and "terrorism" in Indian politics are often built on lies.
Even in 2025, social media remains the most powerful weapon of fake news in Indian politics. Recently, several false images and videos related to the Manipur violence went viral, purportedly from another country, but were linked to events in India. By the time the truth emerged, widespread tension had spread in society.
Friends, if we discuss Part 3 of the equation of truth and lies in international politics, (1) The Iraq War of 2003 - The Greatest Example - The greatest example of lies in international politics is the 2003 Iraq War. The US and Britain claimed that Saddam Hussein possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). This claim spread rapidly throughout the world, and war broke out. Millions were killed, but the truth was that Iraq did not possess such weapons. This truth came to light after the war had ended, and by then, the politics of the entire Middle East had changed. (2) The Russia-Ukraine War (2022–2025) - The greatest example to date is the Russia-Ukraine War. Russia claimed it had come to "liberate Ukraine from Nazi forces." On the other hand, Western countries claimed that Russia was pursuing an expansionist policy. False information was spread on social media by both sides, sometimes using fake videos and sometimes promo- ting old photos as new. The truth is slowly emerging through independent journalists and satellite images, but by then millions of people have been affected. (3) US electoral politics and fake news-“Fake news” was a decisive factor in the 2016 and 2020 US presidential elections. Russian troll factories and American extremist organizations spread false news, such as “The Pope is supporting Donald Trump” or “Joe Biden is involved in corruption.” These stories reached millions of people on social media. Fact-checking organizations later disproved them, but by then, voters had already been influenced. (4) COVID-19 and China-At the beginning of COVID-19, China concealed the severity of the virus from the world. Initial cases in Wuhan were suppressed and the situation was claimed to be under control. This lie misled the entire world. By the time the truth emerged that the virus was spreading rapidly, the pandemic had become a global crisis. (5) Israel-Palestine conflict-The battle between lies and truth is witnessed daily in the region. Both Israel and Palestine present videos and images in their favor on social media. Often, old videos are made viral by claiming they are new or using false captions. By the time the truth is revealed, anger and protests have already grown internationally. (6) India's Foreign Policy and Fake Narratives
- India's foreign policy is also not untouched by this battle of lies and truth. During the recent G-20 Summit (2023, New Delhi), Pakistan and China claimed that India "pressured to remove the Kashmir issue from the international agenda." This false news spread in the international media. Later, the truth came out that the focus of the summit was on economic cooperation and development, but by then the narrative had changed.
So, if we study and analyze the entire above account, we will find that this saying is not just a literary satire but a harsh political reality. Election promises, farmers' protests, and crises like COVID-19 have proven this in Indian national politics. At the international level, the Iraq War, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US elections, and the COVID-19 pandemic are global examples of this. Lies may travel around the world, but truth always finds its way, albeit late. Today's challenge is that democracy, media, and technology work together to accelerate the journey of truth and slow down the pace of lies.
-Compiler, Author -Tax, Expert,Columnist, Literary Person, International Writer, Thinker, Poet, sangeet madhyama, CA (ATC), Advocate Kishan Sanmukhdas Bhawnani, Gondia, Maharashtra 9226229318
Contd from previous issue
As the elders have said, "By the time the truth ties its shoelaces, lies have already circled the globe." Therefore, today, with the help of information available in the media, we will discuss the article, "The speed of lies and the slow pace of truth: A thorough and accurate analysis in National and international politics."
Friends, if we first discuss Part 1 : The speed of lies versus the strength of truth, then (1) Why do lies spread so quickly ?-Lies are always sensational and emotional. They incite public emotions, fears, and prejudices. Truth is based on logic and evidence, so its pace is slow. (2) The Enduring Power of Truth-History bears witness that even though lies may spread rapidly, truth always prevails. Gandhiji's Satyagraha, Man-dela's anti-apartheid struggle, and scientific warnings about climate change all demonstrate that truth, though delayed, prevails. (3) Solutions and the Way Forward-Fact-Checking Organizations: Organi- zations like Alt News (India), Snopes (USA), and BBC Fact Check are challenging lies. (4) Various Technological Aspects -(1) Technology: Artificial Intelligence can detect deepfakes and fake news. (2) Education and Awareness: It is important to teach the public media literacy so that they can distinguish between truth and lies.
Friends, if we discuss Part 2 : Understanding the Equation of Truth and Lies in India's National Politics, then (1) Electoral Politics and Fake Narratives-India's democracy is the world's largest, with elections held every five years. Here, lies play a crucial role in shaping the electoral narrative. For example, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, several videos went viral on social media claiming that certain parties would "provide reservations for a particular religion" or "revoke Article 370 in Kashmir." Most of these claims turned out to be false, but these news influenced public opinion in the election environment. The truth came to light when the Election Commission and fact-checking organizations investigated these reports, but by then the impact had already been felt. (2) Farmers' Protests and Misin- formation-The 2020–21 farmers' protests are the most recent example of this phenomenon in Indian politics. The protesters were often described as "Khalis-tani supporters" or "inspired by foreign funding." These rumors spread so rapidly on social media and TV channels that they created confusion among the general public. Later, the Supreme Court and independent reports clarified that the movement was primarily based on genuine concerns of farmers. However, it took months for the truth to emerge.
(3) COVID-19 and Government Claims - The battle between lies and truth was clearly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. During the second wave (2021), the Government stated that there was "no shortage of oxygen and medicines." However, the ground reality was that people were dying in hospitals due to lack of oxygen. False images and statistics were spread in the media to protect the Government's image. The truth later emerged when international media and the Courts exposed the situation. (4) National Security and Rumors - Narratives related to "Pakistan" and "terrorism" in Indian politics are often built on lies.
Even in 2025, social media remains the most powerful weapon of fake news in Indian politics. Recently, several false images and videos related to the Manipur violence went viral, purportedly from another country, but were linked to events in India. By the time the truth emerged, widespread tension had spread in society.
Friends, if we discuss Part 3 of the equation of truth and lies in international politics, (1) The Iraq War of 2003 - The Greatest Example - The greatest example of lies in international politics is the 2003 Iraq War. The US and Britain claimed that Saddam Hussein possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). This claim spread rapidly throughout the world, and war broke out. Millions were killed, but the truth was that Iraq did not possess such weapons. This truth came to light after the war had ended, and by then, the politics of the entire Middle East had changed. (2) The Russia-Ukraine War (2022–2025) - The greatest example to date is the Russia-Ukraine War. Russia claimed it had come to "liberate Ukraine from Nazi forces." On the other hand, Western countries claimed that Russia was pursuing an expansionist policy. False information was spread on social media by both sides, sometimes using fake videos and sometimes promo- ting old photos as new. The truth is slowly emerging through independent journalists and satellite images, but by then millions of people have been affected. (3) US electoral politics and fake news-“Fake news” was a decisive factor in the 2016 and 2020 US presidential elections. Russian troll factories and American extremist organizations spread false news, such as “The Pope is supporting Donald Trump” or “Joe Biden is involved in corruption.” These stories reached millions of people on social media. Fact-checking organizations later disproved them, but by then, voters had already been influenced. (4) COVID-19 and China-At the beginning of COVID-19, China concealed the severity of the virus from the world. Initial cases in Wuhan were suppressed and the situation was claimed to be under control. This lie misled the entire world. By the time the truth emerged that the virus was spreading rapidly, the pandemic had become a global crisis. (5) Israel-Palestine conflict-The battle between lies and truth is witnessed daily in the region. Both Israel and Palestine present videos and images in their favor on social media. Often, old videos are made viral by claiming they are new or using false captions. By the time the truth is revealed, anger and protests have already grown internationally. (6) India's Foreign Policy and Fake Narratives
- India's foreign policy is also not untouched by this battle of lies and truth. During the recent G-20 Summit (2023, New Delhi), Pakistan and China claimed that India "pressured to remove the Kashmir issue from the international agenda." This false news spread in the international media. Later, the truth came out that the focus of the summit was on economic cooperation and development, but by then the narrative had changed.
So, if we study and analyze the entire above account, we will find that this saying is not just a literary satire but a harsh political reality. Election promises, farmers' protests, and crises like COVID-19 have proven this in Indian national politics. At the international level, the Iraq War, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US elections, and the COVID-19 pandemic are global examples of this. Lies may travel around the world, but truth always finds its way, albeit late. Today's challenge is that democracy, media, and technology work together to accelerate the journey of truth and slow down the pace of lies.
-Compiler, Author -Tax, Expert,Columnist, Literary Person, International Writer, Thinker, Poet, sangeet madhyama, CA (ATC), Advocate Kishan Sanmukhdas Bhawnani, Gondia, Maharashtra 9226229318