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ndia has always been hostile toward Pakistan since the two countries got their independence in 1947. After Prime Minister Modi was elected to his august office, however, this phenomenon took on a whole new dimension. Anti-Pakistan rhetoric is now routinely used in India to win elections.
It seems that most right-wing parties and many unscrupulous independents tend to foul-mouth Pakistan and promise to ratchet up threats against Pakistan to impress the naïve voters, who seem to see this as a sign of patriotism/ nationalism. This seems to have worked for many of them, including the prime minister’s Bharatiya Janata Party for at least two terms. However, his third campaign seemed to have been something of a disappointment. While he managed to sew up a coalition in the end, the absolute majority was denied. At least some of the voters may have started seeing through the hollowness or futility of the rhetoric.
However, that apparently has not been the way those accustomed to the ‘business model’ see it. Many of them seem to have concluded instead that if mere rhetoric failed to do the trick the government must actually go to war. A few border skirmishes might suffice. If they don’t, a strike or two in Pakistani surely will. Given India’s huge military spending, including on latest weapon systems, the risk of a reversal was overlooked.
The political strategists and their media allies might also have recalled that even when Indian aggression following the Pulwama incident did not go according to plan, it did allow the Indian government and its media allies to claim victory, wrap itself in the flag and do well in another couple of elections. This time, the government seemed to want to kill two birds with one stone. One of the objectives was to cause significant infrastructure damage to Pakistan and the other to regain the political space lost recently to electoral rivals. However, the unrealistic dreaming led to some serious miscalculations.
First, the Indians did not take into account the new set-up in Bangladesh. The change is so significant that if it India continues to be so headstrong and irresponsible with its neighbours, there will be a significant threat on its eastern side. Second, Indian apparently did not expect China to support Pakistan in unequivocal terms.
The solidarity the whole nation showed with the military may have surprised some people in India. Some of them may not have expected it considering the cacophony on the social media.
A third unexpected development was way people of Pakistan expressed solidarity with the armed forces. It seemed that at least some people in India had not expected this, possibly on account of the many chaotic voices on the social media. The Indian strategists were apparently counting on the impact of surprise strikes on Pakistani territory to cause the people to blame one another, particularly the government and the defence institutions. However, the escalation, instead, united the people in support of the incumbent government and the armed forces. The political diffrences and divisions were forgotten. This was clearly evident on the social media in the strong support for the armed forces.
A fourth miscalculation was India’s counting on a hostile government in Afghanistan. While relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained ever since the US left the region, these ties are now back on track.
The military too performed when it mattered most. The Air Force downed the latest fighter jets fielded by India and S-400 system was destroyed. The communication systems inside India got jammed and 26 targets inside India pummelled.
Of course, this didn’t happen in a week. Just as preparations had been going on India to take on Pakistan, the Pakistani armed forces were doing their homework. When required to do their bit, they were ready and gave a great account of their commitment and professionalism. That is how Indian aggression was blunted. That is also why it will always never find Pakistan’s defenders negligent.
There was speculation on the social media that the PAF personnel had had the advantage of familiarity with Rafale aircraft jets thanks to a friendly Gulf country and an Indian scientist was accused of leaking Brahmos missile data. These only showed the extent of Indian frustration and the mindset that cannot acknowledge the commitment and superior skills of Pakistan’s defenders.
For every hero in the war that was publicly identified there were many unsung heroes. They all deserve our gratitude.
The writer is the CEO of Envision Research Lab