New Delhi, Aug. 18 -- After the Cold War, democracies tried engaging with authoritarian states, hoping it would bring mutual benefits and encourage reform. Instead, the authoritarians flipped the script. They used the very openness of globalisation and Western integration against democracies, sabotaging the international institutions that welcomed them.

Countries like China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela twisted the idea of "soft power" - manipulating the internet, creating fake charities and groups, deploying sham election monitors, and running sophisticated state media campaigns. Nowadays, it is known by another term - "Sharp Power."

However, it is not only playing out on a global scale; it is also evident in some of the g...