Operation Sindoor - Bharat Strikes Back: Jai Hind!

[JE Menon]

It is not really all that complicated.

1. India accused Pakistani terrorists of carrying out the Pehalgam attack.

2. India was well within its rights to attack the terrorists in their den on May 7-8. This left open the option for Pakistan to self-deter and let the engagement subside there, without taking direct responsibility for the terrorists.

3. Pakistan chose to take responsibility for the terrorists, and acted on their behalf by attacking Indian forces across the border.

4. The Indian military establishment, backed by the political leadership, then responded to the Pakistani military attack by (a) declaring that henceforth it would not differentiate between the Pakistani state and terrorists, and (b) forcefully responding to the Pakistani attack on Indian military forces and assets on May 8-9 and May 9-10.

5. The counter-attack by the Indian military to the offensive action by the Pakistani military was calibrated to escalate disproportionately (or rather proportionate to what the Pakistanis wanted to do but could not because of insufficient competence) and resulted in unparalleled and unprecedented damage to Pakistani technical and asset capabilities.

6. The recognition of the reality, and the certainty that greater damage would be imposed on May 10-11 considering Pakistani air defences were degraded, is the reason by the Pak DGMO called (at least twice) and requested a ceasefire. In reality, Pakistan capitulated.

The decision to attack only the terrorists in the Indian strike on May 7, and not the Pakistani military as well at the same time is what is being referred to erroneously as "constraints" imposed by the political leadership. In fact, it is both the right and legal thing to do (from an international law point of view, so as to not be labelled the aggressor for whatever that is worth).

If a case is to be made, then the case should be that we should have continued for longer and taken our more assets. But the decision taken by the politico-military establishment, IMHO, was the absolutely appropriate thing to do in context, exactly at the point where they capitulated by asking for a ceasefire. As for the narrative, it continues. We should write our own, and forcefully so - at all levels, the goonda level social media warfare to the academic papers at defence institutions.

[Vayutuvan]

@JEM, No. 3 is the crucial point. That was the key. Pakis acted on behalf of the terrorists closing their "plausible deniability" escape route.

[Manish_P]

^ Pakis acted on behalf of Terrorists Pakis

The GoI has officially stated that we no longer differentiate between the non-uninformed and uniformed Jihadis
(something quite a few BRFites have known and stated for many many years now)

[sanjaykumar]

Whoa. That’s a lot of self-flagellation.

I’m not even sure if, given the RoE, those aircraft losses were preventable. Even so, Pakistan keeps losing wars to India because they convince themselves they won the previous one.

In fact, the next Tibet border conflict may be a surprise to the Chinese.India has developed and is currently enhancing long range weaponry. However given the long lead time long range delivery vehicles are subject to interdiction. Hence the effort on true scramjet propulsion. There are sufficient indicators that these are fructifying.

[Aditya G]

....If a case is to be made, then the case should be that we should have continued for longer and taken our more assets. But the decision taken by the politico-military establishment, IMHO, was the absolutely appropriate thing to do in context, exactly at the point where they capitulated by asking for a ceasefire. As for the narrative, it continues. We should write our own, and forcefully so - at all levels, the goonda level social media warfare to the academic papers at defence institutions.

Not a day has passed where I dont wish we had continued to drive home the missile assault a bit longer, asked the navy to destroy karachi etc.

However, one has to acknowledge that we got away cheap in Op Sindoor.... no large scale civil casualty (except for some lives lost in LoC areas), no spectacular loss of fighters on ground, no public visuals of our bases or cities burning etc.

Any mature decision maker in the hot seat would take the win. Modi did well to take it and clearly set the doctrine for next time.

Lets acknowledge however, this was an uneasy victory thanks to a vexxing question - what if we had pressed home the advantage? echos of returning 93k POWs, returning Haji Pir pass etc

Till next time then.

[Anujan]

Whenever people talk about Indian aircraft losses, I am obligated to remind everyone that Indian aircraft are smaller, darker, hard to spot at night and therefore can use their cunning to slip between Pakistani aircraft. Indian bombs typically point down and are only good for ground attacks. That is why there are satellite pictures of 11 Pakistani airbases with numerous buildings with missing roofs, some with missing walls as well. My personal favorite is the Bholari hangar, with the wall laying on the ground 200 feet away. Then there are 2 terrorist headquarters with missing roofs and walls. Let us not get into numerous "alleged" attacks on deeply buried bunkers. It is all a result of cunningness and deception of an incompetent poorly trained Indian airforce

Pakistani aircraft on the other hand can make tight turns, their missiles are thicker and longer and highly polished. Their missiles fly up (unlike Indian bombs that fly down) and can hit aircraft in the air. That is why there is intense speculation about Indian aircraft losses. It is all because of superior flying skills, better equipment and training of Pakistan Air Force.

Let us not get distracted by numerous losses on the ground and complete capitulation of Pakistan from deeply introspecting why there is alleged news of Indian aircraft being downed.

PS> For chess lovers: Is it true that Gukesh lost a Queen, A bishop and two pawns to Magnus even though Indian commentators claim that he won against Magnus? Is poor training to blame on part of Gukesh? Why did he lose so much material? Is his diet wrong? Does he need a foreign coach? Should we discuss it here or in sports dhaaga?