[ News18 ] The Invisible Hands: Was There Foreign Interference in India’s 2024 Lok Sabha Elections?

The article titled “The Invisible Hands: Was There Foreign Interference in India’s 2024 Lok Sabha Elections?” discusses the possibility of foreign interference in the narrative-building during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The article highlights the unusually high interest of French media in the 2024 elections, particularly emphasizing the influential role of French political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot¹. French outlets such as Le Monde published numerous articles with narratives around Islamophobia, undemocratic tendencies, and caste issues in India.

Jaffrelot’s work, especially on caste census, was prominently featured and widely cited, both in French and Indian media, raising concerns about biased and manipulated academic research. His work coincided with significant funding from the US-based Henry Luce Foundation for three years (2021-2024), which drove a substantial increase in discussions on caste issues, particularly during election seasons.

The article also mentions the Trivedi Centre for Political Data (TCPD) at Ashoka University, co-founded by Gilles Verniers, a Belgian academic and mentee of Christophe Jaffrelot. The center focused on political data analysis in India but was dissolved in September 2023 after Verniers was forced to leave Ashoka University due to tenure issues.

The interconnected academic networks and the influence of international funding on Indian political narratives raised concerns about academic independence and the integrity of research of TCPD. The financial and academic networks behind Jaffrelot’s work were focused on funding from the US-based Henry Luce Foundation.

Source: Conversation with Copilot
The Invisible Hands: Was There Foreign Interference in India’s 2024 Lok ….
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