While paranoia, by itself, is a dangerous trait for a government, one could possibly understand it if it was universally applied. However, this does not appear to be the case. Take the impressive report by Newslaundry on Kapil Mishra’s “Hindu Ecosytem” and the toolkits used therein. The report finds that Kapil Mishra leads a network of more than 20,000 people who are working in a clearly defined and organised manner to create and spread communal hatred. The ecosystem is efficient and shares Twitter links with an intent to create “Twitter storms” backed by fake news and detailed instructions on how to best amplify their message which aims to spread fear and animosity amongst Indian communities. The report also says that videos on the Telegram group feature Union minister Prakash Javadekar and MP Manoj Tiwari promoting the RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya and a user using the name of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Given that we have not seen any distancing by BJP leaders from the story about Kapil Mishra’s ecosystem, there is quite clearly a different approach by this government for the “toolkit” edited by Disha Ravi and Greta Thunberg. While Disha Ravi was arrested from Bangalore by the Delhi police for the toolkit, Kapil Mishra’s ecosystem is allowed to promote and encourage hate and fake news. I would argue that only one of these toolkits defames India, and it is not the one that was shared by someone who has been applauded by the United Nations for her efforts on climate change.