Some things to Reconsider

  https://theprint.in/national-interest/indian-pakistan-air-force-doctrines-1965-1971-kargil-op-sindoor/2722096/ Among the well-worn tales of the 1965 Indo-Pak war, one stands tall: Lal Bahadur Shastry’s fearless call to cross the International Border in Punjab, defying both diplomatic and military counsel (especially diplomatic), to relieve pressure in Kashmir or then LoAC. It was a rare moment in history when Delhi’s political leadership took a risk for the soldier in the trench. But during the recent monsoon session of Parliament, Narendra Modi, in what can only be described as his “Blames, Boasts & Bullshit — Volume Whatever,” introduced a new villain into his perpetual “blame-the-past” series. Nehru the usual punching bag, Manmohan Singh gets a usual swipe, Rajiv Gandhi a mention sometimes, and even Indira in a rare moment. But Shastry? Yes, Shastry. Accused, by insinuation, of “squandering” the chance to reclaim Haji Pir Pass and Kartarpur Sahib. Why? Because Op Sind...

    Indian Subcontinent has a remarkable feature, our memories are short and consequences are lasting. When one casts a weary, knowing eye back at India’s relentless tryst with terrorism over the past three decades, the narrative that emerges is as much about the thunderous clamor of firepower as it is about the quiet, often overlooked, virtue of foresight. A cursory internet search – a tool of convenience for those who prefer quick answers to deep dives – might point to a multitude of major terrorist incidents. But let's unpick the numbers, and read the postscript. Between 2014 and 2025, the years Narendra Modi presided as Prime Minister, India indeed faced a series of devastating attacks. We saw the audacious assault on Pathankot (2016) , the chilling Uri attack (2016) , and the gut-wrenching Pulwama suicide bombing (2019) , all largely attributed to Jaish-e-Mohammed. Then came the worrying resurgence in Jammu & Kashmir, with incidents like Poonch-Rajouri (multiple i...