Lucknow, March 7 The Chief of Staff of the Army's Central Command, Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, said on Saturday that narratives are increasingly being weaponized in modern conflicts, and perception management has become crucial.
The remarks were made at the first Strategic Communication Conclave organized by the Central Command at the Surya Auditorium in Lucknow Cantonment, which saw the participation of nearly 500 military officers, diplomats, government communication experts, and media professionals.
According to a press statement, Lieutenant General Sengupta highlighted a "fundamental shift" in the nature of conflicts, saying that "the battlespace now includes information and cognitive domains".
He said that perception management has become crucial because "perception shapes legitimacy, legitimacy shapes influence, and influence shapes outcomes".
Lieutenant General Sengupta also highlighted the weaponization of narratives and the growing threat from conflicts below the threshold of war, adding that strategic communication must evolve from being reactive and personality-driven to an institutionalized, doctrine-backed, and capability-driven system.
Defence and strategic affairs expert Nitin Gokhale delivered the keynote address on the theme "Strategic Communication in the Emerging Info Space".
A session on institutionalizing strategic communication for future preparedness was moderated by Gokhale and featured former diplomats Ruchira Kamboj and Yashvardhan Sinha, along with retired Lieutenant General Raj Shukla.
A special interactive session on strategic communication in emerging multi-domain operations was moderated by Shukla and addressed by former diplomat Dilip Sinha, former IPS officer Shantanu Mukherjee, retired communication professionals Veena Jain and Sharat Chander, and retired Lieutenant General D P Pandey.
Two media panel discussions were also held during the conclave – the first on "Shaping the Mind Space", and a second on "Information Power and Strategic Communication".
Chief of Staff, Central Command Headquarters, Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva, summarized the discussions and delivered the vote of thanks at the conclusion of the day-long conclave.