Although the unethical and illegal interference in the internal matters of the developing countries by the state and non-state actors in some countries of the developed West is not a new phenomenon but two incidents having a devastating impact on South Asian countries biz. India and Bangladesh during the last two years made this author to seriously ponder about the implications and harm caused to these countries especially in the sociopolitical and economic context by largely invisible hands. The first case was the Hindenburg Research report on the Adani Group in India in January 2023 with allegations of the accounting fraud, stock price manipulations, and exploiting tax havens. Although nothing worth pursuance emerged against the Adani Group after investigation under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court of India but it caused tremendous harm to the Indian businesses and investors’ interests. In the second case, the democratically elected and largely secular Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh was unceremoniously overthrown and she was made to leave country. Almost simultaneously, a caretaker government was also installed with the US and West friendly octogenarian Muhammad Yunus as its leader.

In both the cases, many conjectures, including allegations, were made nationally and internationally about the involvement of the US Deep State, and/or China and ISI (Pakistan) to sabotage, harm and bring down the democratically government only to replace by a more friendly and suitable regimes to their strategic interests. More recently in June 2024, the parliamentary elections were carried out in India to elect new government at Centre. Surprisingly, this election received an unprecedented media coverage internationally with a large number of articles with the negative reports denting the image of India under the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government on various counts; nonetheless, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) led political front returned to power again albeit this time with a truncated mandate. Recently, the EU DisinfoLab, an NGO with declared (noble) aim to fight disinformation, published a detailed report on how many non-state actors with deep linkage in respective governments tried to influence Indian election through money and media coverage. These factors have made this author to look into the network and nexus of the alleged Deep State and its nature and modus operadi in the target countries.

A Few Model Cases of Deep State Involvement

Ordinarily, the Deep State is considered as the assembly of influential people, typically members of the government agencies, the military and secret service, or even non-state actors operating in connivance with the aforesaid people in a sort of network and nexus, and are believed to be engaged in clandestine manipulation or control of the government policies or decisions. This potentially secret and unlawful machinery or network of power usually operates seemingly independent of the state’s political leadership in pursuit of the secret common agenda or even as their own independent agenda and goals. In common parlance, the term is associated with overwhelmingly negative overtone and implications suggesting conspiracy against the target nation’s interests and long-term objectives. Here are a few examples meeting the suggested definition and aims of the Deep State.

1.  Hindenburg Report on Adani Group

Hindenburg Research, said to be a New York based investment research firm, published a report on the Indian industrial giant Adani Group in January 2023, accusing this conglomerate to be engaged in extensive accounting fraud, stock price manipulation, and exploiting tax havens such as offshore entities in Mauritius and the Caribbean. While making allegation of the extensive stock manipulation and fraud, inter alia overstating its financial health, the report claimed that these unethical and illegal practices by the Group had persisted over decades. The immediate impact of the report on the Indian stock exchange market was rather disastrous as the shares of the Adani Group in many disciplines dramatically crashed badly hitting business and the interests of thousands of small and medium scale Indian investors and bringing ill-repute and embarrassment to the nation and its extant government. Additionally, it provided an opportunity to several Indian opposition parties to create a ruckus and logjam in the parliament and public against the ruling party and government with the parliamentary elections due early next year. Yet another US based agency, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) too made similar allegations on 31 August 2023 about millions of dollars been illegally directed into publicly traded stocks of the Adani Group.

Though in response, the Adani Group released a very detailed over 400-page response to Hindenburg report in the same month, concluding Hindenburg’s conduct as a calculated securities fraud and the report as a calculated attack on India, its independence, integrity and quality of the Indian institutions with a view to undermine India’s ambition and growth story. Notwithstanding, the immediate ball-rolling effect in several spheres inter alia included the Reserve Bank of India starting an examination of the exposure to Adani Group by various banks, the Adani Group cancelling its ambitious FPO worth Rs 200,000 million citing market volatility with an assurance to quickly return investors’ money, and so on. This author is consciously avoiding to cite any reported figures of loss by the Conglomerate or other media sources but, undoubtedly, the unsubstantiated allegations have causes staggering losses to the company’s businesses and investors’ money besides giving enough fodder to the opposition political groups and agencies bent upon to create problems for the ruling dispensation in India. As the issue escalated, the Supreme Court of India constituted a committee of experts, declining Central Government’s request for a government nominee on the panel, for investigating various charges levied in the Hindenburg report against the Adani Group including the regulatory failure, if any, by the SEBI in the context of the alleged inability to stop stock price manipulation by the conglomerate.

To cut the long story short, briefly the following are subsequent developments in the Adani Hindenburg case. The SEBI's last communication to the Supreme Court was that it has completed 22 of the total 24 investigations, and so for the committee’s has not found any merit in the charges levied against the Adani Group by the foreign firm. There is an influential lobby in the opposition parties of India out to exploit these charges to their benefit, they continued to create ruckus against the government but their case for an appointment of the special investigating team (SIT) or CBI inquiry has been rejected by the apex court in their January 2024 order finding no merit in the opposition demand. The SEBI issued a show cause-notice(s) against Hindenburg for misleading and causing panic in Adani Group stocks in the Indian stock exchange markets, to which instead of replying pointwise, the firm has chosen to launch counter offensive and yet another report on the conglomerate. Triggered by Hindenburg, the Adani Group continues to be under scrutiny internationally by the foreign governments and private agencies but domestically their position is stable despite temporary setbacks. Different sources in media and elsewhere have now revealed that George Soros, an anti-India agent and a virulent Narendra Modi hater and critic, has major share in the Hindenburg and is a key source of funding and motive behind both the Hindenburg and OCCRP allegations.

2.  Fall of Sheikh Hasina Government in Bangladesh

Last general elections were held in Bangladesh on 7 January 2024 with the Awami League under Sheikh Hasina returning to power for the fourth consecutive term. Despite formation of a duly elected democratic government, the country experienced continuous turmoil in the form of demonstration, protests and strike turning to riot, arson and vandalism on many occasions branded as a popular students’ agitation pressing for the quota reforms backed by the opposition Bangladesh National Party and banned radical group Jamaat-e-Islami, and others. An anti-climax reached on 5 August, when hundreds of thousand people came out on streets and a large crowd of protesters marched towards the capital Dhaka to press for Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. Reportedly, the Bangladesh military and other security establishment hardly made any efforts to control the situation and violent mobs; Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign same day in the presence of army chief who however, allowed her a safe exit out of Bangladesh, and was granted a temporary shelter in India.

While a dominant section of the Western media depicted the deposed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a despot and corrupt ruler, who fled to India to escape a populist movement against her in the country. As against this, the truth appears that she and Awami League were the last hope for democracy in Bangladesh with a reasonably secular governance in a country where radical Islamist parties like Jamaat-e-Islami (banned earlier) and even the Begum Khalida Zia led other major political party, Bangladesh National Party, have systematically worked against the minorities, particularly Hindus, endangered with their life and property, with a view to make Bangladesh totally an Islamic nation. Ever since the departure of Sheikh Hasina, the radical Islamist groups are systematically attacking Hindus killing men in many cases, raping their women, desecrating & destroying temples and looting their properties but the caretaker government led by Muhammad Yunus is unable to effectively protect minorities in the country. On the contrary, the recent decisions taken by this 84 years old Peace Nobel Laureate speak a lot about the way, the country is doomed to go now. Some of these decisions are the lifting of ban on Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, its students wing Islami Chhattra Shibir, and all associated organizations; release of Jashimuddin Rahmani from prison, the chief of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an affiliate terrorist outfit of the dreaded al-Qaida; and the Hindu community to pause their religious rituals during the namaz and azaan in the country.

Many strategic analysts and even common folks in South Asia, who keep a tab on the political and strategic developments in the region have made logical conjectures about the possible involvement of the US Deep State, and/or China and ISI (Pakistan) in Bangladesh turmoil leading to Sheikh Hasina’s ouster and unsavoury flight to India. Theories about the topical American interest in the Saint Martin Island for a military airbase in the region, which could strategically be very useful for the US having a sway over the Bay of Bengal to counter the moves of China in the region as also to keep a watch on India which is fast emerging as a powerful regional and international power in the recent years. It is not a secret that Muhammad Yunus have close links with several entities in the present and previous US governments, including Clintons’ duo as well as some influential private organizations & institutions. In this context, quite a few political admittances, and denials as well, are already on record. In fact, Sheikh Hasina herself had already reportedly referred to such an insinuation in May 2024 when she claimed that a “white man offered her a hassle-free re-election in the 7 January 2024 elections provided she allowed a foreign country to establish an air base in Bangladesh territory.” A lot has already been reported in the print and electronic media about the Deep State interest in Bangladesh; however, the author would only prefer to state that Washington’s interest in the St Martin's Island, Muhammad Yunus's links with the US organisations and entities, and deposed former PM Sheikh Hasina's direct and indirect references appear suffice to make a logical case about the Deep State involvement leading to the current Bangladesh nemesis.

3.  2024: Parliamentary Elections in India

Recently, general elections for the 18th Lok Sabha of the Indian parliament were held from 19 April to 1 June 2024 in seven phases, and the counting of votes and result was declared on 4 June. True to the media forecast in most of the opinion surveys and exit polls, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) led National Democratic Front obtained absolute majority with 293 seats (Total 543) and Prime Minister Modi was able to form the government for the third consecutive term, albeit with a truncated mandate as the BJP itself could garner only 240 parliamentary seats as against 303 seats won in 2019. The election was also marred with several controversies mostly raised by the INDI Alliance comprised of the Congress led loosely allied several opposition parties, which inter alia included allegation of favourism by the Election Commission and efficacy of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), a recurring allegation of the opposition parties wherever they lose elections. With over 968 million eligible voters, the elections garnered maximum international publicity, including vicious adverse reporting on the ruling BJP and its leadership through numerous articles in prominent newspapers and magazines, undue foreign interference and funding. In this context, the DisinfoLab. A Europe based NGO, has published a detailed 82-page report revealing the state of interference by the foreign institutions and entities.

It is unfortunate but true that the heir apparent of the country’s oldest political party Congress made visits to several foreign countries, particularly the US and the Uk, prior to the last two parliamentary elections in India in 2019 and 2024, raised false alarm about the sliding democracy and secularism in India, and made fervent appeal to such countries to intervene to save democracy and secularism in India. No wonder that, in turn, such foreign state and non-state actors too played their own bit to influence elections through large scale misinformation and funding. In this context, the author would like to cite the following quote from the remarks in the introductory part of DisinfoLab report “The Invisible Hands – Foreign Interference in Indian Elections 2024”.

“Unfortunately, as millions of Indians were deciding their future, a section of the global media and academia was planning a sinister plot to influence their decisions through an orchestrated and well-funded plan. The extent of this Influence campaign was not restricted to the Western media itself; many Indian conduits were at the forefront and acted like the anvil that was ready to be molded to any shape. The Western media coverage of Indian elections with its tireless attack on everything linked to elections from institutions to climate (one media outlet blamed the ECI for conducting elections in the middle of a punishing Summer month) was worth a detailed analysis.”

While referring to the India and Modi regime’s perennial critics and bashers like the BBC, Washington Post, The New York Times and others, the DisinfoLab has introduced surprise entries of the vicious propaganda by the French media this time involving that country’s most influential and widely circulated newspaper Le Monde’s, among others, editorials and numerous articles by proclaimed French political scientist and researcher Christophe Jaffrelot’s in France and elsewhere. The DisinfoLab report lucidly explores and exposes the role of many non-state actors, chiefly George Soros, having close links in the US political establishment, role of the Henry Luce Foundation and Open Society Foundation, etc., through their links and funding on various pretexts to the organizations and groups like the Friends of Democracy, Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), Human Rights Watch, Trivedi Center, Ashoka University, and many more.

The report exposes how different actors and entities (including many so-called liberal Indians abroad) purportedly published dozens of articles with slanted narratives on manufactured themes like ‘Declining Democracy in India’, ‘Hindu Majoritarianism’, ‘Fascism’, ‘Islamophobia in India’, ‘Undemocratic Nature of India’, ‘Stigmatization of Muslims’, ‘Growing Authoritarianism’, and so on, months before and all along during the elections. The maximum coverage was made in the newspapers such as the Al Jazira, Reuters, Guardian, Bloomberg followed by Le Monde, Le Soir, France 24, Washington Times, BBC in the same order. Rightly so the report in concluding part observes

“… … one set of people keeps appearing in one front and another. The only constant – their funding and their agenda. The agenda is blatant anti-India and funding from ‘you know who’. One actually marvels at the sheer brazenness of the nature of propaganda, which has outshined communist propaganda… …They know they are lying; they also know that you know they are lying. They would still lie.”

Aforesaid relates to mostly non-state actors, majority of them based in the US, including several NGOs, so-called civil rights organizations like Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), who either independently or with overt or covert linkage in the government have been constantly working against India, its current ruling dispensation and/or Hindus (their culture & religion) worldwide. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit in 2023, the IAMC coordinated with other 16 so-called civil rights organizations urging President Biden to rescind his invitation to the Indian Prime Minister for a state dinner in 2023 citing India’s sharp democratic backsliding and human rights violations against minorities, political opponents, and so on. Besides, names of state actors including the US Congressmen, former Presidents and other key officials, intelligence agencies (CIA), etc., too, have frequently appeared in connection with similar agenda and motive. For example, many US Senators and Representatives of Congress (mostly from Democratic Party) opposed Prime Minister Modi’s state visit and meeting with President Biden in White House and asked him to raise issues like shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organizations and journalists, and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access in India, and so on. Most of these Congressmen have a long history of anti-India, anti-Modi bias either due to ignorance or their ideology. On the same occasion, even the former President Barack Obama separately made fallacious, farcical and damaging statement in press,

“…if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility that India at some point starts pulling apart…” thereby echoing similar sentiments intently or out of sheer ignorance.

Deep State vs Toolkit

The Deep State is actually translated or derived term of the Turkish word derin devlet, apparently originally used to describe a secret network of the military officers and their civilian allies engaged in efforts to preserve the secular order based on the ideology of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk from 1923. According to some other opinions, the alleged derin devlet aka Deep State in Turkey was actually coming in practice during the Cold War era as a component of the Gladio Organization to draw the country more towards the NATO against the growing threat of the expansion of the Soviet communism. On the other hand, the term Toolkit has been frequently used in India over the last decade or so to define both state and non-state actors abroad, particularly in certain influential Western democratic countries, systematically working on the anti-India agenda through overt and covert operations with twin objectives of destabilizing Indian socio-political and economic structure and progress by bringing down the present Modi government and assist installation of a certain ideology-based more friendly regime in India suitable to their interests.

However, the way now Deep State is referred to globally, it is apparent that its meaning, scope and implication have substantially changed with the passage of time. What was largely indigenous and applicable domestically at one time, it’s horizon spread beyond the limits of a nation as the Deep State is now more practically used to signify the secret or even implicit influencing by the state and non-state actors as well in a country, of course with connivance and nexus, to achieve certain objective through sabotage and disruptions in the target nation. Reportedly, the existence of the Deep State has been observed in some or the other form in the countries like Turkey, Egypt, Germany, Italy, some countries of the Middle East, Iran, Germany, Venezuela, Pakistan, Japan, the UK and the US. In Indian context too, a reference to Pakistan would be relevant as in that country the military and intelligence establishment have always exercised a huge influence over the political governance. It is widely held and accepted that any government in Pakistan cannot survive without the support of the Pakistan military and ISI. Besides, these establishments have a significant influence over the foreign policy of Pakistan. The Army and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) have been for decades accused for their constant role in grooming, equipping and sponsoring various terrorist outfits for the sabotage, killing and disruptions in the Kashmir and other states of India.

In the context of India, the US state and non-state actors have played a significant role since its independence in 1947. Considering the size, population and strategic location of India, the successive US regimes have always desired India to be pro-West and pro-America to suit their global interests, and, accordingly, they have overtly and covertly done everything, including coercion, albeit without much success. In the United States, the Deep State has been often related to a hybrid association of the government actors, parts of the top-level industry and finance sectors that effectively influence the governance of country, at times even without the formal political consensual process. The US intelligence agencies, particularly CIA, have often been accused in the context of national political developments and interference in many cases abroad. The Deep State conspiracy theories have often been denied but during the previous stint of Donald Trump as President, even the federal intelligence agencies were domestically accused of attempting to thwart the Trump administration’s policy goals. Of course, in the context of the global perspective, more so about India, it appears a complex nexus and interplay of multiple US agencies.

As for the presence of the Deep state is concerned, the former President and next President elect Donald Trump himself is known to have apprehensions that the current and former US officials orchestrated “Russia Gate” during the last elections to sabotage his image and electoral chance. Recently, he nominated his trusted ally Kash Patel as the next FBI director replacing Christopher Wray with an objective to reform and overhaul the state agency. Kash Patel is known for his extreme views on FBI, who, recently, while giving a clear hint about presence of the US Deep State, mentioned the need of sweeping transformation of the FBI that includes even shutting down its Washington headquarters to reopen it as a “museum of the deep state”, hinting his current disdain of the federal bureaucracy. About a year back, in an interview with Steve Bannon, a well-known media executive, Patel vowed to pursue “conspirators” in government and media (i.e. elements of Deep State), who contributed to the rigged presidential elections in favour of Joe Biden in 2020. He even published a book “Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy” in 2023, hailed by Donald Trump as a roadmap to end the Deep State's reign. Of course, the critics of Donald Trump and Americans with liberal or left-wing approach dismiss the Deep State merely as a conspiracy theory. Almost defending the latter view, Prof. Jon D. Michaels of UCLA School of Law suggests that the US governmental power structures are almost entirely transparent, a utopian thesis only some Americans would agree, and that the said American ‘deep state’ in actually the American bureaucracy including federal agencies responsible for the regulation, welfare, crime prevention, and defence of the country.

India as Favorite Game for Deep State 

Traditionally, owing to its size, population and strategic location, India has always invited global interest for the past several decades. Then, the recent all-round economic progress as also its simultaneously growing socio-political and military power has catapulted it among the most relevant nations in the global order. Naturally, not only the adversarial but also erstwhile friendly countries now tend to look at India more like a rival, and this explains why the Deep State has become so relevant in the Indian context now. In fact, for the last few years, the term “Toolkit” has been frequently used in India, which also basically refers to the state and non-state actors abroad working in close network and nexus combined with some anti-national forces active within India, in furtherance of their mutual objectives and interests. In fact, the illustrations of the Hindenburg Report, and role of the global media and some entities funded by the institutions like the Henry Luce Foundation and Open Society Foundation to influence the 2024 Indian Parliamentary elections are so apt to underline the point made above. Practically, this author does not see any significant difference in the two terminologies in use viz. the Deep State and Toolkit.

Here the author would like to cite a classic example of the state and non-state actors combined in concerted conspiracy to discredit, or even dislodge, the Indian ruling dispensation through the agitation and anarchy in the country. In the year 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Indian government enacted three long awaited progressive agricultural laws in the larger interest of small and medium scale farmers providing them with multiple marketing channels and a legal framework for their produce to enter into pre-arranged commercial contracts, among many other improvements. A few farmer unions mostly dominated by the rich farmers lobby from Punjab state started local protests against the new laws, and soon they were joined by some other unions from Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, opposition political parties, and even separatist and armed Khalistani elements to convert it into a mass violent agitation against the government blocking access to the national capital for months from all sides. A pure internal matter was internationalized by the interest groups abroad in the countries like Canada, the US and the UK roping in celebrities like the American pop singer Rihanna, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and ex-porn star Mia Khalifa to make statements for repealing the farm laws, who hardly knew anything about India and its agricultural community.

Under the tremendous internal and international pressure for almost a year, the Prime Minister himself had to announce his government’s decision to repeal three farm laws on 19 November 2021. Needless to mention, three farm bills which would have ushered in radical changes and tremendous improvement in the farm sector became victim of the conspiracy and nexus of the interest groups within the country and state/non-state actors abroad. Some significant foreign personalities who directly or indirectly tried to intervene and influence outcome in India’s purely internal matter by rendering support to the said farmers agitation include Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Jagmeet Singh Dhaliwal, Canadian MP and a known Khalistan supporter, about a-half dozen US Democrat Congressmen, and some MPs of the Labour Party in UK. Later on, the identity of international suspect firms, their funding route, and actors’ links abroad also surfaced out revealing who actually funded from abroad, including heavy payments made to the aforesaid celebrities. Months later, a prominent opposition leader was observed in a TV debate revealing the objective of the agitation as creating a favorable ground for opposition in a few states’ assembly elections, particularly the opposition Samajwadi party in Uttar Pradesh. More recently, some of the prominent farmer leaders associated with farmers agitation contested assembly elections but lost even their security deposits which indicates farmers’ agitation was not a popular movement.

Although anti-India propaganda and activities by the Deep State or Toolkit abroad comprising of the state and non-state actors that involve government and intelligence officials, certain NGOs, Powerful and rich people like George Soros run organizations and many individuals, particularly in the countries like the US, Canada and UK, and two neighbors which are more like sworn enemies viz. China and Pakistan, are not a new development, but it has gained momentum and new dimensions of overt and covert operation and subversion since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came in power in May 2014. As the foreign governments are bound by certain political and diplomatic protocols, naturally, they cannot directly indulge in action which may be prejudice to the bilateral relations. Hence such countries tacitly, often secretly, choose and support non-state actors in the name of upholding democratic and secular values, human rights; many of them operating as NGOs registered in the name of missionaries, human rights, environment, freedom of expression, transparency, and so on but actually indulging in a variety of opaque and suspicious activities in the target countries like India.

Deep State: Broad Features and Associated Malaise

Although some people still dismiss the Deep State as a conspiracy theory based on figments of imagination but what has been described in the foregoing paragraphs is a reality and it cannot be allowed to let go as an imaginary concept; of course it may be an individual choice whether one calls it the Deep State or Toolkit! The usual connotations, characteristics and malaise of the Deep State have largely been explained in the foregoing sections; however, the same is briefly summarized here as follows.

• The Deep State could be defined as a clandestine nexus and network with linkages within the government in a state, mostly comprised of influential members of military, intelligence, retired lawmakers, bureaucrats and other unelected and private entities, who with the secret connivance of those in power or even independently, operate pursuing certain motives and objectives vis-à-vis governance and policies. The target of the Deep State could be within the same state or an outside country. Although such occurrences have been reported in many countries, but the concept has gained greater relevance in the US over a passage of time.
   
• The Deep State typically tend to synchronize with the private sector including NGOs, Civil Right Groups, Organizations/Institutions for operations along with necessary funding and other support, and, therefore, are in a position to influence the policy and outcomes without incurring direct responsibility and accountability. For instance, one could find a number of illustrative reports on how the Soros network is deeply embedded in the US government, with Governing for Impact (GFI) influencing the Biden administration's decisions. Besides, the role of George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF) in funding and drafting private institutions/media/individuals to influence the outcome of 2024 General Elections in India is no more a secret.
   
• There are viewpoints about how the Deep State functions: For instance, some proponents opine that its nexus and network operate extralegally and is able to influence government policies and decisions of the targeted state without accountability; yet another point of view suggests that the alleged deep state activity is simply a resistance to the radical policy changes by the ruling government and its elected leaders. The withdrawal of the progressive farm laws enacted by the Modi government in 2020 following the large-scale agitation is an apt example where the Deep State nexus and network succeeded in their goal. A large section of the nationalist and evolved Indians citizens do believe in the role of the Deep State in large scale agitation and anarchy created by a section with dubious objective and motive.
   
• Though the functionality of the Deep State suits the countries like the US with global interests as it indulges in activities to achieve goals, which an elected government cannot afford due to political and diplomatic reasons, but it also leads to malaises harmful to own as well as target countries. It may succeed in achieving certain goals set in a foreign country but domestically too, it not only has impact on the transparency, efficacy and accountability of the government but also a grave impact and bearing on the bilateral relations of the countries. For instance, two leaders of India, namely former (late) Prime Minister AB Vajpayee in February 1999 and current Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2015 made sincere and honest efforts to improve relations with Pakistan. On these occasions, while the Pakistani political leadership (Nawaj Sharif government) responded positively but, on both the occasions, the Pakistan Army and ISI spared no time to sabotage and spoil the peace process: First time by imposing the Kargil War on India in May 1999, and on the second time by staging a deadly terrorist attack on India’s Pathankot Airbase in January 2016.

End Note

Although the Western nations consider themselves as the champions of democracy but the very fact of the existence of the Deep State within only reveal double standards and fragility of their democratic institutions. What the government cannot do or achieve through normal political and diplomatic channels, so to say legally, seeking to achieve it by creating anarchy and disruptions through the Deep State is not only dangerous for the nationalities but the entire mankind. Bangladesh is a case in point where the radical Islamists and anti-India elements are ruling roost after replacing the democratically elected and largely secular Sheikh Hasina government with a US friendly Muhammad Yunus caretaker government in August 2024. The radical and Islamists are actually ruling roost now indulging in a large-scale arson, loot and violence against the minorities, mainly Hindus, with Yunus administration hardly making any visible efforts to check atrocities against the minorities. In the Indian context too at present time, not only the developments in Bangladesh is a cause of serious security threat and socio-political concern but also many internal issues showing the footprints of the Deep State or Toolkit are posing serious challenges to the very integrity and stability of the nation.