Modi Makes It Easy for the Chiefs

After the April 22 terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held several meetings with top military leaders, including the three service chiefs and the chief of defence staff (CDS). Videos of the meetings, which usually include External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and NSA Ajit Doval, released by the government provide a peep into consultations before and after India’s retaliation. The visuals indicate Modi’s confidence in the military brass as CDS Lt General Anil Chauhan and others like Doval and Jaishankar can be seen making a point with Modi listening attentively. The prime minister’s remarks, as per sources, are not lengthy but to the point. He can be seen making his observations precisely and his directions were direct and unambiguous according to accounts. The chiefs and the CDS are clear about what needs to be done. The scale of the operations and their intensity are discussed in separate meetings, with Doval in a lead role, and thereafter operational aspects are dealt with among the three services and finally at the level of the commander on the ground. The smooth functioning of the political-military hierarchy resulted in minimal loss of time between decisions at the highest level and their implementation. The confidence born of strong political backing was evident in the uncluttered manner in which the Army DGMO and his colleagues from the Air Force and Navy answered a range of questions on May 11 evening, a day after the ceasefire was announced.

Ukraine Downs SU-30

On another battlefield, history has been created in drone warfare. A Ukrainian Magura V7 drone on May 2 shot down a Russian Su-30 fighter near the port of Novorossiysk using modified AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. A report by the Hudson Institute said, “[T]his marks the first time in the history of warfare that unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) have intercepted manned fighter jets.” The visuals available indicate one jet was brought down but Ukrainians claimed two fighters were destroyed. The incident confirms strides Ukraine has made in naval warfare by using robotic systems and anti-ship missiles that have punched holes in the capabilities of Russia’s Black Sea fleet.

No One Misses Hurriyat

As the India-Pakistan hostilities unfolded and people in Jammu & Kashmir watched anxiously, one set of voices was missing and no one yearned for them. There were no Hurriyat leaders offering gratuitous advice on the situation. Although labelled as “separatists”, the Hurriyat grouping was Pakistan’s cat’s paw in the Valley, working to the explicit commands of Pakistan’s ISI. The dismantling of the Hurriyat alliance, accelerated by the death of senior leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and the sustained pressure of the NIA and the ED investigations that have hit terror funding have come as a relief for many.

Setting the Record Straight

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s carefully worded statement on May 11 that India has achieved its major goals in inflicting retribution on Pakistan was intended to clear the air over a lot of chatter, particularly on social media, about a ‘premature’ ceasefire. A sense of disappointment was evident among some rightwing handles who expressed a “dil mange more (the heart wants more)” sentiment. Singh’s assertion that even the Pakistan military headquarters in Rawalpindi was not out of reach was intended to set at rest any suggestion that India had pulled its punches. He said India had not only hit hard but it had the capacity and intent to do so again.

Drones Over Srinagar

While Jammu bore the brunt of Pakistani shelling, missile and drone attacks, Srinagar was a target too. Initially it appeared Pakistan was not targeting Srinagar, but this soon changed. The Pakistan attacks sought to strike the IAF base at Awantipura but civilian areas of Srinagar were also in the arc of drones. While Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reported loud bangs above Srinagar even after the ceasefire was announced—some felt he might have been more guarded—the air defence system ensured the damage
to the city and nearby areas was minimal.

Baloch Pains For Pakistan

Much as the Pakistan army hated it, there was little it could do to stop Baloch leaders expressing sympathy for India’s stated intent to extract revenge for the Pahalgam attack and claiming to have taken control of cities in Balochistan. The extent of alienation in Balochistan is evident with reports of the Baloch Liberation Army seizing control of highways, setting up blockades, and attacking Pakistan army convoys. The videos are hard to verify but the statements by Baloch leaders demanding intervention by the UN have been verified. Hardly the picture of unity the director general Inter-Services
Public Relations was so keen to project.

Women Cricket Stars Shine

The high-profile retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket overshadowed a splendid showing by the women’s team that won the ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka with sterling centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues. A sparkling 123 against South Africa marks a milestone for Rodrigues who seems to be coming into her own, playing a match-winning, impactful innings. Mandhana’s form is gratifying as not too long ago she was looking inexplicably nervous for a player of her talent and experience.

Defence forcesHurriyatnational politcsOperation SindoorPahalgamUkrainewomen cricket team