After the Pahalgam terror attack, India announced tough steps against Pakistan. From suspending the Indus Water Treaty to calls for de-militarising PoK, the response reflects a shift in India’s counter-terror strategy.
In Episode 1573, Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta looks at IAF’s role in supporting ground forces & weakening Pakistan Air Force, which was positioned in the west to delay Indian advance during the war.
ThePrint walks around the National War Memorial at India Gate in New Delhi & looks back at the stories of those who sacrificed their lives in the war and were awarded top gallantry medals.
What did India gain from 1971 victory? It now faces a country with an uncertain future in the East and a Pakistan that is ever more committed to using violence.
Col Panjab Singh, who was a Major during 1971 war, received the Vir Chakra for his bravery during Operation Cactus Lilly, when his command repelled 9 Pakistani attacks over 2 nights.
Colonel Ashok Tara (Retd), then a 29-year-old Major, was tasked with rescuing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s family from Pakistan Army at the end of 1971 war.
Underlining that Bangladesh, or East Pakistan, was the 'Golden Goose' to Pakistan's ruling elite, Husain Haqqani said feudal Pakistan rulers never considered Bengalis as equals.
This is the story of Lt Gen. Ved Prakash Airy and Pakistan Army’s Lt Col. Mohd Akram Raja, who died in 1971 while leading a counter-attack against the former’s unit.
The Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, or NOPO, was the only force Ali Khamenei trusted.It was founded in 1991 and is more feared than the Revolutionary Guards.
Rating democracies is a tricky business. I am only using the simple metric of who in the Indian subcontinent has had the most peaceful, stable, normal political transitions and continuity.
“When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.” – Eli Wallach as ‘Tuco’
Mr. Chari acts as if the whole world along with Indralok is pleading, and holding back this Govt. from performing what is for it a trivial task.
I beg Mr. Chari to tarry no more. Recite the mantra for the Govt. to bare its mighty chest and powerful arms, and take back PoK, our Chinese occupied territories, and Tibet.
Like Hanuman who loomingly rises to bludgeon those who dare glance unchastely at Mother Sita, your party’s Govt. should rise to shield Bharat from any scratch, and bulldoze Pakistan and China into the dust.
While it is at it, it might as well also bulldoze Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. And Maldives and Turkey. And Canada. These countries too don’t deserve any mercy. They all have made it a habit of walking all over us, and making us feel small, dirty, and discarded.
Why the effete dithering?
Is it that those ill-begotten nations won’t be dealt with as easily as it is to organize the rape and killing of innocent, unarmed citizens? Or the cruel, senseless bullying of Kashmiri students?
When it is time, those who are strong, act . They don’t merely and endlessly yap.
That’s why I did not bother to glance at Mr. Shekhar Gupta’s piece which is on the “nuances” in the Hon. PM’s statement.
What curves and nuances could there really be? It does not take much for the bewitched to imagine complex shapes in empty space. And marvel at them.
Instead, I recalled myself marvelling recently at Mr. Alex Philip’s given revelation of his remarkable hindsight that also got cast ahead as an uncanny foresight, and which made out that if Balakot had happened now (i.e., when Mr. Alex Philip was having his epiphany), then the Airforce would have used their Rafale aircraft instead of Mirages.
That bright and intricate contrarian thought deservedly required the whole article for itself.
Nevertheless, my own reflections make me continue to wonder….notwithstanding…how that would still not be or have been too extreme. Especially, when we have our Gnats and Canberras standing idle in their hangars.
This is rooted in idealism rather then reality. Pakistan is a nuclear armed nation. There is no way India can carry out a 71 style partition of Pakistan and come away unscathed. Instead of 26 deaths, India will have 26 million.
India should focus on courting more allies, isolate Pakistan on the world stage and covert anti terror operations, cyber attacks etc. At the same time extend more support to Pashtuns and Balochis and the Taliban. To counter Turkey, learn from Russia who has effectively countered Turkish drones. And consider increasing ties with Kurdish groups and Iran.
And tone down the anti Muslim rhetoric in India. Indian Muslims are still Indians. All that manufactured hate just ends up playing into the hands of Pakistan and it’s allies.
“When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.” – Eli Wallach as ‘Tuco’
Mr. Chari acts as if the whole world along with Indralok is pleading, and holding back this Govt. from performing what is for it a trivial task.
I beg Mr. Chari to tarry no more. Recite the mantra for the Govt. to bare its mighty chest and powerful arms, and take back PoK, our Chinese occupied territories, and Tibet.
Like Hanuman who loomingly rises to bludgeon those who dare glance unchastely at Mother Sita, your party’s Govt. should rise to shield Bharat from any scratch, and bulldoze Pakistan and China into the dust.
While it is at it, it might as well also bulldoze Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. And Maldives and Turkey. And Canada. These countries too don’t deserve any mercy. They all have made it a habit of walking all over us, and making us feel small, dirty, and discarded.
Why the effete dithering?
Is it that those ill-begotten nations won’t be dealt with as easily as it is to organize the rape and killing of innocent, unarmed citizens? Or the cruel, senseless bullying of Kashmiri students?
When it is time, those who are strong, act . They don’t merely and endlessly yap.
That’s why I did not bother to glance at Mr. Shekhar Gupta’s piece which is on the “nuances” in the Hon. PM’s statement.
What curves and nuances could there really be? It does not take much for the bewitched to imagine complex shapes in empty space. And marvel at them.
Instead, I recalled myself marvelling recently at Mr. Alex Philip’s given revelation of his remarkable hindsight that also got cast ahead as an uncanny foresight, and which made out that if Balakot had happened now (i.e., when Mr. Alex Philip was having his epiphany), then the Airforce would have used their Rafale aircraft instead of Mirages.
That bright and intricate contrarian thought deservedly required the whole article for itself.
Nevertheless, my own reflections make me continue to wonder….notwithstanding…how that would still not be or have been too extreme. Especially, when we have our Gnats and Canberras standing idle in their hangars.
This is rooted in idealism rather then reality. Pakistan is a nuclear armed nation. There is no way India can carry out a 71 style partition of Pakistan and come away unscathed. Instead of 26 deaths, India will have 26 million.
India should focus on courting more allies, isolate Pakistan on the world stage and covert anti terror operations, cyber attacks etc. At the same time extend more support to Pashtuns and Balochis and the Taliban. To counter Turkey, learn from Russia who has effectively countered Turkish drones. And consider increasing ties with Kurdish groups and Iran.
And tone down the anti Muslim rhetoric in India. Indian Muslims are still Indians. All that manufactured hate just ends up playing into the hands of Pakistan and it’s allies.
We are incapable of reclaiming POK. We don’t have money, armaments, political will, and diplomatic backing to do it.