Gen Chauhan's candour vs Pakistan's bluster and grandstanding

Hans India

17 hours ago

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Anil Chauhan, has succinctly described how Pakistan's Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos 'folded in eight hours' on May 10. In a bid to counter India's Operation Sindoor, Pakistan launched Marsoos with the aim 'to get India to its knees in 48 hours... They escalated this conflict... We actually hit only terror targets.' When they failed to achieve their target, 'they picked up the telephone and said they wanted to talk.' Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, he did not shy away from admitting India's setbacks in the initial phase of the conflict. He acknowledged that India lost fighter jets on the opening day due to tactical miscalculations. He emphasised the importance of learning from them. 'What is important is not the jet being down, but why they were being downed,' he noted, adding that the Indian Air Force swiftly identified the errors, rectified them, and resumed high-risk, long-range operations with precision targeting deep inside Pakistani territory.
This ability to adapt quickly and regain operational dominance speaks volumes about the professionalism and preparedness of the Indian military. The revised tactics yielded significant success: key terror hideouts, air defence systems, and logistical hubs in Pakistan-occupied territory were struck with accuracy, sending a clear message about India's willingness and capacity to act against state-sponsored terrorism.
In stark contrast to General Chauhan's measured and honest appraisal, Pakistan's military and political establishment has taken the familiar route of denial, bluster, and grandstanding. Rather than acknowledging the losses suffered—both in terms of military assets and strategic credibility—Islamabad and Rawalpindi have declared victory. Celebrations of their so-called success have been rife with falsehoods and propaganda, ignoring the reality on the ground. This is part of a deeper malaise within the Pakistani establishment: an inability to accept military and diplomatic setbacks, especially when they are self-inflicted.
The gap between Pakistan's public narrative and the operational truth is not new. This pattern of distortion was seen during the Kargil War, the Balakot strikes, and numerous skirmishes along the Line of Control. This time, too, the same script is being followed - denial of military losses, exaggeration of India's setbacks, and a desperate attempt to control domestic opinion through state-run media and selective international outreach.
However, the Indian military and diplomatic establishment must remain vigilant. Complacency is not an option. Pakistan's failure in Operation Marsoos does not signal a long-term retreat from its aggressive posturing. If anything, such setbacks could push its military towards even more reckless adventurism in the future, especially as internal instability in Pakistan increases.
The key takeaway from this confrontation is the importance of readiness, adaptability, and strategic clarity. India demonstrated all three—quickly addressing early tactical issues, executing deep-strike capabilities without escalating into a full-scale war, and maintaining international credibility by sticking to legitimate counter-terror objectives.
Chauhan's comments serve as both a report card and a reminder: India's armed forces are capable of delivering swift and calibrated responses, but the threats posed by a revisionist and denialist Pakistan remain ever-present. As such, both India's defence and diplomatic establishments must continue to strengthen capabilities, reinforce deterrence, and build international partnerships to isolate and counter state-sponsored terror—firmly and without pause. While there are few, if any, concerns about the military, the same cannot be said about Indian diplomacy; the latter needs to be revamped.