For the past seven decades, a dangerous pattern has been observed. Western media consistently misrepresents India while portraying Pakistan and some Islamic regimes as innocent. This is not just reporting, but a deliberate attempt to fabricate a false narrative that is not only anti-India but also emboldens terrorism.

From the 1947 partition to the wars of 1965, 1971, 1999, the 2019 Balakot airstrike, and recent counter-terrorism Operation Sindoor, each time, Western media has depicted India as the aggressor, while presenting Pakistan as innocent.

Read in Hindi: पश्चिमी मीडिया की दोहरी नीति से आतंक हो रहा है मजबूत

The truth, however, is that Pakistan harbours global terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. In the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, hundreds of innocent people were killed, yet instead of holding Pakistan accountable, Western media issued statements like ‘both sides should exercise restraint’.

Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed are both designated terrorist organisations by the UN, India, the US, and many other countries. Their presence and operations from Pakistani soil have been extensively documented.

During the 2008 Mumbai Attacks, the sole surviving terrorist, Ajmal Kasab, confessed to being a member of LeT and stated that the attacks were planned and launched from Pakistan. US intelligence also confirmed Pakistani links.

Pakistan is harbouring terrorists. Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda, was found and killed in 2011 in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, not far from a Pakistani military academy. This raised significant questions about Pakistan's knowledge and complicity.

When India conducted a precise strike on terrorist camps in Balakot, Western media ignored India's success and spread false news that Indian fighter jets had been shot down.

And now, post Operation Sindoor, Pakistan's dependence on Chinese weaponry has been lauded, but India's restrained actions have been overlooked. India stated its air force targeted a JeM training camp in Balakot of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, in response to the Pulwama attack.

While Pakistan initially denied the extent of the damage, satellite imagery and independent analyses by experts largely corroborated India's claims of hitting the target. Western media reports, while diverse, often focused on Pakistani claims of downed Indian jets and the escalating tensions, rather than fully validating India's counter-terrorism objective.

Prof Paras Nath Chaudhary rightly states that India is a democratic, diverse, and economically strong country. Yet, Western media shows a bias towards Pakistan, which repeatedly nurtures terrorists, suppresses minorities, and oscillates between military and weak democratic regimes.

Prof Chaudhary adds, "Pakistan has continuously received financial aid from the IMF and the US, while it promotes terrorism. Osama bin Laden was caught in a Pakistani military cantonment, but no strict action was taken. On the other hand, India, the world's largest democracy, repeatedly has to listen to lectures on human rights."

Pakistan has been a long-term recipient of significant financial aid from the IMF and the US, often tied to counter-terrorism efforts. For example, the US has provided billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan since 9/11. The IMF has approved numerous bailout packages for Pakistan to stabilise its economy.

Human rights organisations consistently report on the persecution of religious minorities, i.e. Hindus, Christians, Ahmadis, in Pakistan, including forced conversions, blasphemy laws, and discrimination.

Dr Bertrand Shah, an expert on South Asian affairs, says, "The silence of Western countries on the rise of radical Islamic forces in Bangladesh is shameful. NGOs there receive money from the US, and some have been linked to organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami. Merely to gain access to the Bay of Bengal, these powers are overlooking radicalism."

There have been concerns raised by international human rights groups and experts about the growing influence of radical Islamic groups in Bangladesh and attacks on secular bloggers, minorities, and foreigners. The alleged links between some NGOs and extremist elements, while complex and often debated, have been a subject of scrutiny.

The roots of this entire discrimination are cultural. Western media fails to understand the pluralism and diversity of Hinduism. Western journalists perceive this culture as ‘backwards’ or ‘superstitious’, while they consider Islamic societies as ‘victimised’.

This very double standard fosters a conspiracy against India. India's non-aligned policy and independent foreign policy also bother the West. A country like Pakistan, which has served as a pawn for American interests, is useful to them, but India's self-respecting policy is unacceptable to them.

This is not merely a reporting error, but a deliberate strategy. When India's image is falsely portrayed, it not only harms India but also emboldens terrorism. It is time to expose this double standard. Western media's anti-India stance supports neither truth nor justice.

India is now an emerging power in technology, diplomacy, and democratic values. If the West wants the world to be stable and secure, it must change its perspective. Otherwise, it will lose its credibility and values.