Authoritarian rulers and political parties today wield two powerful tools: on one side, appeals to nationalism, religion, and patriotism; and on the other, seeds of hatred, hostility, and violence. Both streams are now spreading across the cyber landscape. The global name for this organised cultivation of hatred online is the troll army.
Swati Chaturvedi’s I Am a Troll exposes the inner workings of digital propaganda in Indian politics. She reveals how the BJP’s IT Cell and its supporter networks use trolling not as a spontaneous act, but as a coordinated and carefully managed strategy aimed at silencing dissent, attacking critics, and amplifying party narratives. As an investigative journalist, Chaturvedi shows how political parties, state institutions, and loyal volunteers together have turned social media into a full-scale cyber battleground.
Cyberspace captured by emotion
In the cyber age, political culture is no longer confined to rallies, meetings, or speeches. It is now shaped by online identities, algorithmic excitement, and emotionally driven propaganda. Nationalism, religion, and patriotism are used in such a way that ordinary citizens unknowingly become digital warriors themselves. Somewhere, criticism is branded as ‘treason’; elsewhere, religious or ethnic identity is used to label individuals as ‘digital enemies.’ The central force of this new politics is no longer information but the emotion with which information is spread. And that emotion is the weapon of the troll army.
An organised machine of hatred
Globally, troll armies have become one of the main tools of political propaganda. Their goal is not only to silence critics but to create an environment of collective hatred online. Social media platforms have become their primary battleground- where truth is drowned in noise, reasoning is lost in shouting, and public opinion is shaped through ignorance and provocation. Fake accounts, paid teams, and inflammatory content, together they have shrunk the space for meaningful discourse and deepened fear, distrust, and division within society.
India’s aggressive model of political digitalisation
India offers one of the clearest examples of this phenomenon. The BJP launched its own website as early as 1995, while the Congress Party lagged a full decade behind, opening theirs in 2005. Narendra Modi created his personal homepage in 2005 and joined Twitter in 2009. Rahul Gandhi did not appear on Twitter until 2015. The BJP’s IT Cell reshaped Indian politics through digitalisation. At a rally in Rajasthan, Amit Shah proudly declared, “Whether true or fake, we have the power to make any message go viral instantly.” Their extensive WhatsApp networks spread daily narratives to millions. As a result, everything from media agendas to public opinion was determined by party-driven messaging. This is almost a textbook implementation of the agenda-setting theory.
China’s state-controlled system of digital suppression
In China, state repression goes a step further. Alongside the persecution and violence against Uyghur Muslims, anyone speaking online in their defense is immediately attacked by state-backed troll squads. These groups, known as the ‘Fifty Cents Party’ or Wumao Dang, reportedly include nearly two million participants. Their main tasks are to amplify state narratives, silence critical voices, and spread organised hate against minorities. According to European Interest, this invisible digital force has become one of the most effective tools in implementing President Xi Jinping’s vision of a ‘Unified China inhabited by unified people.’
The rise of the ‘Sohomat Bhai’ culture and a crisis of expression
Bangladesh is not outside this digital battlefield. In recent years, many people have faced harassment, threats, and violence simply for expressing opinions about religion, the state, or politics. Turning non-issues into viral controversies that destroy individual lives has become almost routine. Bangladesh has witnessed an alarming rise of troll armies across the cyber space in recent years. Built on political loyalty, party identity, and personality-driven devotion, these digital forces work to discredit criticism, label dissent as ‘anti-state’ or ‘anti-religion,’ and distort public discourse. They deliberately turn non-issues into viral controversies, weaponising character assassination, misinformation, and personal attacks as part of their daily operations. The most concerning aspect is how this trolling culture is pushing a segment of young people toward unthinking conformity and emotionally charged politics where insults, rage, and provocation become distorted measures of ‘patriotism,’ rather than logic or reason. As a result, social division deepens, freedom of expression shrinks, and the environment for democratic conversation grows increasingly hostile.
In Bangladesh’s online sphere, cyberbullying of women, abusive tagging to silence dissent, and orchestrated character assassination have emerged as troubling cultural trends. When women voice opinions on social or political issues, they are often targeted with pseudo-moral bullets- attacked for their clothing, personal lives, or through entirely fabricated stories. Similarly, dissenting individuals are branded by partisan troll groups as agents, traitors, anti-state, or anti-religion, with the intention of isolating them socially. Consequently, online spaces have shifted from platforms for open dialogue to arenas of fear, shame, and enforced silence. Silencing women’s voices, unleashing sexualised insults, and framing opposing views as enemies of the nation- these practices are strengthening a toxic digital culture that poses a direct threat to democracy, human dignity, and a safe civic environment.
Fear, division, and the politics of silence
The rise of troll armies is not merely about online abuse or personal attacks; it is a direct blow to democratic discourse. Where policy-based debate should exist, we now find character assassination, misinformation, intimidation, and personal humiliation. Criticism is now labeled conspiracy, and questioning is seen as anti-state. As a result, citizens gradually learn self-censorship- falling silent and the vital spirit of democracy continues to erode.
The modern-day Narayani Sena
Swati Chaturvedi’s book I Am a Troll reveals the inner machinery of the BJP’s digital army; how millions of volunteers and supporters are mobilised online to push an ideological war. In the Mahabharata’s Kurukshetra, Krishna did not wield weapons himself, but his Narayani Sena shifted the tide of battle. Today’s digital war is no different: troll armies are the modern Narayani Sena; unseen, organised, and dangerously effective.
In the digital age, the alliance of state, political parties, and troll forces poses a grave threat to democratic societies. Distortion of information, emotional manipulation, and divisive propaganda are structurally weakening democracy. To confront this, we need digital literacy, platform accountability, state transparency, and above all a political commitment to truth and reason. The greatest challenge today is to rebuild public discourse not through division, but through rationality and democratic values.
The writer is an Associate Professor, Communication and Journalism, University of Chittagong
