What an Embarrassment for India!

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By Mukesh Devrari

It is a widely known fact that Pakistan uses terrorist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba to attack India. It does so brazenly under a nuclear umbrella. When Modi came to power in 2014, he genuinely attempted to establish friendly relations with Pakistan. However, Pakistan’s obsession with Kashmir remained unchanged, and terrorist attacks on Indian soil continued unabated. One thing was clear from the outset: the BJP is not the Congress, and Modi is not Manmohan Singh. The Modi government could not afford to ignore repeated terror attacks and allow Pakistan to carry on without facing consequences.

India first tested surgical strikes. Admittedly, there was some exaggeration in the BJP’s portrayal of events, but Pakistan remained incorrigible. The suicide bombing in Pulwama led to the Balakot airstrikes. Pakistan dismissed India's response, and the incident revealed how unprepared the Indian Air Force was at the time. India lost a plane, and its pilot was captured alive. Worse, we shot down our own helicopter, killing six military personnel onboard. Modi publicly lamented that India lacked superior fighter jets to effectively counter Pakistan's F-16s. Subsequently, India purchased Rafale jets. This was back in 2019.

Fast forward to 2025. India abrogated Article 370, stabilized the Kashmir Valley, cracked down hard on overt and covert terror sympathizers, and tourism surged. The Modi government focused on attracting companies fleeing China in search of alternative investment destinations. Then, Pakistan struck again—this time in Pahalgam. Twenty-six tourists were shot dead at point-blank range. The Pakistani-backed Islamic terrorists reportedly checked the victims’ religion before killing them. The Modi government decided to retaliate.

Having tested Pakistan’s nuclear bluff twice before, Modi’s government was more confident this time. Rafale jets equipped with modern French missiles added to this confidence. On May 7, India launched small-scale bombings on multiple sites in Pakistan. However, Pakistan’s airborne early warning systems detected and tracked Indian Air Force movements with precision. The Chinese-made J-10 fighters—often criticized in Western media as reverse-engineered MiG-21s—proved far more capable than India had anticipated, especially with their PL-15 missiles.

In conflicts between India and Pakistan, truth is often the first casualty. It's fair not to accept either side’s claims at face value. International media began reporting that India had lost two fighter jets, possibly even a Rafale—despite Indian claims that none of its jets had entered Pakistani airspace, unlike in 2019.

The next day, India deployed small drones, supposedly to track the location of Pakistan’s radar and anti-missile systems. Pakistan responded in kind. India was forced to shut down 35 airports from Jammu & Kashmir to Rajasthan. While Indian strikes damaged some hangars and airstrips at Pakistani military airports, Pakistan responded similarly. Even Sirsa in Haryana was hit, showing that Delhi was not beyond reach.

As tensions escalated, Indians hoped for a more decisive response targeting Pakistani military assets and terrorist camps. But then, President Donald Trump intervened and brokered a ceasefire.

Pakistanis celebrated and claimed victory. What did India achieve? The answer: nothing. After this short, three-day limited conflict, critical questions arise:

  • Did India destroy any significant Pakistani Air Force assets?

  • Did India strike any Pakistani naval installations?

  • Did India target key military bases?

  • Did India eliminate Masood Azhar (chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad, released in 1999 after the IC-814 Kandahar hijacking)?

  • Did India eliminate Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba?

The answer to all these is no. India sought a curated, limited war to send a message. Instead, Pakistan’s retaliation rattled the Modi government, leading to a premature ceasefire. India failed in its objective to deter its enemy. Worse, the Pakistani army emerged as a national hero for standing up to India.

India not only lost ground militarily but also lost the propaganda war. No amount of spin can salvage this situation for the Modi government. Even die-hard supporters are feeling dejected and disillusioned. To add insult to injury, while Trump supported Israel, his stance on this conflict was a slap in the face for Narendra Modi—who has often claimed Trump as a personal friend.

(The author is an independent commentator.)

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