The April 22, 2025, massacre in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, has brought to light the vulnerabilities surrounding the use of commercial satellite imagery for intelligence. A major U.S. satellite imagery provider, Maxar Technologies, has come under scrutiny after a surge in orders for high-resolution images of Pahalgam and surrounding areas, with multiple requests placed in the months leading up to the attack. The incident has raised critical questions about the risks posed by the easy availability of such imagery, the vetting process for international partners, and the implications for national security.

Surge in Orders for Pahalgam Imagery

Maxar Technologies, a leader in high-definition satellite imagery, experienced an unusual spike in orders for images of Pahalgam between June 2024 and February 2025. Orders for high-resolution images, essential for military surveillance and infrastructure monitoring, peaked in February 2025, with a final order placed just ten days before the attack. While the identities of the clients behind these orders remain unknown, the coincidence of their timing with the attack has sparked suspicions among defense analysts. Though no direct link has been established between these orders and the terrorist assault, experts have expressed concern that such detailed imagery could have been exploited to plan the attack.

Business Systems International Pvt Ltd (BSI) and Maxar’s Partnership

Adding complexity to the situation is Maxar’s partnership with Business Systems International Pvt Ltd (BSI), a Pakistani geospatial firm owned by Obaidullah Syed, a convicted Pakistani-American businessman. Syed was sentenced in 2022 for illegally exporting high-performance computing equipment to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), a body responsible for Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programs. Despite Syed’s criminal background, BSI remained a partner with Maxar.

The partnership raised alarms due to BSI’s role in sensitive exports, and its continued involvement with Maxar after Syed’s conviction became a point of concern. Though there is no evidence that BSI placed the orders for Pahalgam imagery, the timing and the firm’s history raised questions about the adequacy of Maxar’s vetting process for its international partners. After the controversy erupted, Maxar removed BSI from its partner list, though this action came only after the media attention.

Maxar’s Response and Accountability

Maxar Technologies denied that BSI placed orders for Pahalgam imagery and emphasized that it does not share client information without permission. However, the company’s delayed response to the issue and its weak vetting process for international partners have drawn criticism. The case underscores the growing risks posed by commercial satellite imagery, which is increasingly available to anyone willing to pay for it. Without adequate checks, this powerful tool can be misused by rogue elements or adversaries to carry out hostile activities, as was allegedly the case in Pahalgam.

Risks to National Security

The Pahalgam incident highlights the security risks of relying on foreign satellite imagery providers. While such imagery is indispensable for military and surveillance operations, the availability of high-resolution images to commercial clients increases the potential for misuse. As more private space-tech companies enter the market, governments must ensure stronger regulations and safeguards surrounding the use of geospatial data, especially in sensitive regions.

India, which heavily depends on foreign space-tech companies for geospatial intelligence, must take a proactive approach to secure its data. This could involve developing self-reliant systems for satellite surveillance or pushing for international regulations on the trade of high-resolution imagery.

Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for Surveillance Practices

The Pahalgam satellite imagery controversy serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in the global surveillance landscape. While Maxar Technologies has removed BSI from its partner list, the incident raises larger questions about the commercial availability of sensitive satellite data and the need for stricter controls. Governments must tighten regulations and ensure that foreign satellite providers uphold stringent security standards to prevent misuse by hostile actors. This incident is a call to action for the international community to establish robust protocols for managing the risks associated with satellite surveillance.

“The mind becomes the battlefield and media an instrument of war.”

In 2004, after returning from Iraq, former U.S. Army officer Ralph Peters wrote a searing op-ed in the New York Post. His words were clear: “The media weren’t reporting. They were taking sides. With our enemies. And our enemies won. Because, under media assault, we lost our will to fight on… The Marines in Fallujah weren’t beaten by the terrorists and insurgents… They were beaten by Al Jazeera. By lies.”

His point was sharp and prescient: in modern warfare, the media is not merely a chronicler of events—it is a combatant.

The Illusion of Neutrality

In times of conflict, the press often insists on a stance of neutrality. But this so-called objectivity is far removed from any true or meaningful neutrality. A headline, a ticker, a photograph—each can shape national morale or fracture it. In the age of hybrid warfare, information becomes a weapon. And those who disseminate it are combatants, whether they accept it or not.

Take, for instance, the concept of “positive auxiliary assistance” in information warfare. On social media, users—intentionally or not—spread narratives that bolster national interests. Whether these narratives are perfectly factual or not, their strategic value lies in countering adversarial propaganda and reinforcing the national psyche. In cognitive warfare, the target is not territory but the mind: shaping beliefs, manipulating emotions, and altering behavior through information.

From Kargil to Operation Sindoor: A Changed Landscape

The Kargil War in 1999 was India’s first televised war. Today, Operation Sindoor can be streamed live from mobile phones across the world. Our information consumption has grown exponentially. But so has our vulnerability.

Social media platforms operate on a fundamentally different logic from traditional media. There’s no editor, no gatekeeper. A single anonymous account can spread content just as widely as The Hindu or Republic TV. In this unfiltered, fast-moving environment, fake news is cheap—but its cost to society is staggering.

The risk is not just military. It’s political. We may win battles on the ground, but surrender our strategic advantage in the media. Speed kills, but so does misreporting.

Lessons from Rwanda, Somalia, and the Cold War

History has already warned us. In Rwanda and Somalia, civilian broadcasters incited mass violence. In the early Cold War, U.S. President Harry Truman recognized the strategic value of media and launched the Campaign of Truth, urging journalists to support the national cause in countering Soviet propaganda.

India must now internalize this lesson.

Media as a Frontline Asset

The media is no longer neutral terrain. It is an active battlefield. Morale, international perception, and the enemy’s confidence are all shaped by media output.

India’s media must act as a strategic asset—not a chaotic echo chamber. This does not mean blind cheerleading or jingoism. It means disciplined, responsible journalism with national security at its core.

• Avoid performative objectivity. Confused or contradictory reporting during wartime can inflict more damage than enemy fire.
• Headline discipline matters. So do visuals and tickers. Perception fuels warfare.
• Respect operational secrecy. Avoid real-time location leaks, troop movements, or sensitive footage that could be exploited by the enemy.
• Coordinate with defense authorities. Clarify, verify, and confirm before broadcasting battlefield updates.
• Frame the narrative. English-language and global outlets must highlight India’s legal, moral, and defensive justifications. India did not start this war. But we must finish it—militarily and narratively.
• Establish wartime editorial protocols. Decide what to publish, what to delay, and how to fact-check without compromising speed.

Win the War, Win the Narrative

Victory on the battlefield is only half the war. The other half is waged in headlines, hashtags, and reels.

Information dominance is military dominance.

India’s journalists, editors, influencers, and media houses must rise to the moment. We are at war—not just with bullets, but with words, images, and narratives. In this war, neutrality is not virtue. Strategic clarity is.

The media must not become a liability. It must be a line of defense.

Murshidabad, West Bengal – What began as a protest over the controversial Waqf Act has now escalated into what many are calling a communal flashpoint, with the town of Murshidabad at its epicentre. As Hindu families mourn their dead, flee their homes, and allege systematic targeting, a deeper, more unsettling undercurrent involving illegal Bangladeshi migrants, Islamist toolkits, and state inaction appears to be driving the violence.

The Murder That Sparked a Storm

The violence took a deadly turn with the brutal killing of 55-year-old Harigobindo Das and his son Chandan Das. The father-son duo, both local Hindu businessmen, were reportedly hacked to death by a mob amid the chaos. The prime accused, now arrested, is said to be affiliated with groups closely linked to the anti-Waqf law protests. This gruesome act has become a chilling symbol of the ongoing unrest.

According to India Today, the attacker was directly involved in the orchestration of violent riots masquerading as peaceful protests. Intelligence officials suspect the hand of organised groups with links to Bangladesh-based Islamist organisations, exploiting communal fault lines in Bengal’s border districts.

The Plight of Parul Das: A Microcosm of Fear

One of the most haunting stories from Murshidabad is that of Parul Das, a widow who lost her entire home and livelihood in the violence. In her words, “They marked our houses. They came prepared.” Her cries for justice have echoed far beyond her village, stirring national outrage.

As The Indian Express reported, Parul’s village now stands divided by fear. Many Hindu families have either fled or are living under makeshift police protection. The sense of betrayal is deepened by the perceived inaction of the local administration, which many believe is paralysed by vote-bank compulsions and communal appeasement.

Marked for Attack: Visual Evidence Emerges

Social media videos — including a viral YouTube clip — show Hindu homes in Murshidabad marked with blue ink, eerily reminiscent of targeting tactics used during past communal pogroms. Several activists and retired intelligence officers have called it a form of “psychological warfare” aimed at intimidation and eventual displacement.

Illegal Bangladeshi Migrants: The Unspoken Threat

The role of illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the current unrest is becoming impossible to ignore. According to an Organiser report, Murshidabad, which borders Bangladesh, has long been a hub for illegal infiltration. These migrants, often radicalised and undocumented, are said to be fueling local unrest and swelling the ranks of violent mobs.

In fact, experts believe that the demographic manipulation aided by years of political protection has created a parallel power structure that now challenges the Indian state itself. As the report notes, “Mamata Banerjee’s government sleeps over it — for reasons best understood in terms of electoral calculus.”

Toolkits, Doctored Videos, and a Broader Agenda

Adding fuel to the fire, intelligence sources have flagged a troubling trend: the circulation of pre-planned protest toolkits, doctored videos, and coordinated misinformation campaigns on social media. A News18 investigation links these digital footprints to the same elements that were active during the CAA protests — some with ties to the banned Jamaat-e-Islami and external agencies in Bangladesh.

Weapons caches recovered from protest sites suggest that these were not spontaneous uprisings, but premeditated attacks disguised as civil resistance.

Women Bear the Brunt

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has issued a damning report, stating that the attacks were “deliberate and premeditated,” and that women from the Hindu community were specifically targeted. Several testimonies collected by the Commission point to attempted molestations, property vandalism, and threats of rape — raising serious questions about law enforcement’s inability to prevent or contain the violence.

Central Forces Stepping In

Following widespread outrage and a public interest litigation, the Calcutta High Court directed the deployment of 17 companies of central forces to stabilise the region. The Union Home Ministry, which had been monitoring the situation, acted swiftly to prevent further escalation.

While the deployment has brought temporary relief, the root causes — illegal immigration, religious radicalisation, and state apathy — remain unaddressed.

Conclusion: A Tipping Point for Bengal?

Murshidabad is no longer just a law-and-order problem — it’s a cautionary tale of what happens when national security, demographic control, and communal balance are sacrificed at the altar of vote-bank politics. As Waqf lands become a flashpoint and communities are pitted against each other, the question remains: Who will ensure justice and stability in Bengal — when the state seems unwilling or unable to act?

Will this be a wake-up call for India’s policymakers, or just another chapter in the long list of ignored warnings from Bengal’s bleeding borderlands? Watch our video about the Murshidabad Waqf riot.