The True Sindoor Story

A fresh controversy broke out over Operation Sindoor when the defence attaché at the Indian embassy in Indonesia suggested that the Indian Air Force (IAF) lost fighter jets in the initial phase of the operation as it was constrained by the mandate to not attack Pakistani military establishments and only target terrorist infrastructure. The government responded stating the comments were quoted out of context. While the loss of aircraft is no longer a secret as Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan stated as much in a media interaction in Singapore on May 31, the suggestion that a political decision led to the loss of jets is incorrect. It was not as if the fighters were deliberately exposed to danger or forced to take risks. The air operations were planned keeping in mind the need to strike targets inside Pakistan successfully. But in an operation on a scale that had not been attempted before there are unknown elements. Indian Armed Forces had not tested Pakistan’s air defence systems in such an extensive manner since the 1971 war and this led to the loss of jets even though all nine terror targets all the way from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to Pakistan’s Punjab province were struck with great precision. Having got a measure of Pakistan’s air defences, the IAF quickly adjusted plans and tactics and flew all its jets to deliver devastating hits on Pakistan’s military airfields and radars. Much of Pakistan’s fighter fleet would have struggled to get off the ground if hostilities had further escalated after May 10. There were no losses of aircraft in attacks conducted by the IAF after the opening action on the intervening night of May 6-7.

The Emergency Gaffe

The efforts of Congress leaders to justify the imposition of Emergency on the 50th anniversary of the infamous decision are puzzling as it might have been better to let the matter slide given that it was not the most glorious chapter in the party’s history. Yet, senior leaders like BK Hariprasad stuck to claiming that the Emergency was proclaimed to control “anti-national” forces and that Indira Gandhi’s decision was constitutionally valid. In a bid to counterattack BJP, Congress leaders said there is an “undeclared emergency” in the country today, quite oblivious to the irony given that the party does not seem to feel there was anything amiss about the June 25, 1975 decision in the first place.

Legal Slum Demolition

The war of words over the demolition of slums in Delhi has seen AAP criticise BJP but the noise has obscured the fact that the Delhi High Court has clearly ruled such action as legal. In a case relating to the Madrasi Camp JJ cluster near the old Barapullah bridge, the court held that cleaning of the drain was necessary ahead of the monsoon. Vacating interim relief granted to slum dwellers, a Bench of Justices Pratibha Singh and Manmeet Arora held that residents had no legal right to the land which is public property. Although it directed the rehabilitation of eligible residents, the court’s clarity has made demolitions and vacation of encroached public land possible.

Rajnath Stops a Googly

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s decision not to sign the joint declaration at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in China for failing to mention the April 22 Pahalgam attack was a timely reminder that India will not accept edited formulations on terrorism. The omission was clearly deliberate and is further proof of operation Sindoor’s success as it indicates China’s desire to prop up Pakistan and keep India off-balance. This time round, the Indian delegation was more than ready and did not lose time in conveying that Singh will not sign on the dotted line.

I.N.D.I.A. on Waqf Mode

As part of India’s strategic moves, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh visited Greece recently to strengthen cooperation with the Hellenic Air Force. The engagement is part of India’s outreach to Greece, Cyprus and Armenia in the wake of Turkey’s vocal support for Pakistan. The Greek airforce uses advanced fighters like Rafales and older F-16s and Mirage 2000s. Interoperability between the forces allows the IAF to assess the ability of its older fighters to take on the F-16s used by Pakistan.

Old Is Gold for IAF

With older military hardware proving their worth during Operation Sindoor, IAF is paying greater attention to ongoing upgrades of its Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 fleets. The jets did well in delivering precise missile payloads during Indian attacks on terror camps and military targets inside Pakistan. The upgrades were ongoing but are commanding almost as much attention as plans for augmentation by way of induction of Tejas Mark I and II, which have been hit by delivery problems.

Assignment in Athens

As parties begin gearing up for the Bihar Assembly election later this year, the RJD-Congress combine has made its priorities clear. Even though the rest of the country is hardly witnessing any protest over the Waqf Amendment Act, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc partners are doing their best to whip up sentiments in Bihar. It is evident that Muslim consolidation is key to the alliance’s fortunes, but the exclusive nature of the rallies raises the possibility of counter-polarisation that may benefit NDA as it takes attention away from issues relating to anti-incumbency.

1975 EmergencyIAFIndian politicsOperation SindoorRajnath SinghSlum DemolitionWaqf