‘War is costly': Indians lurch between relief and disappointment over ceasefire with Pakistan

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12-05-2025

For four days, Pratham Mahato had been glued to his mobile phone, watching news updates on the India-Pakistan conflict while making and serving tea at his makeshift shop in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
On May 7, the day India had launched strikes on alleged terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, Mahato was exultant. 'The government has done the right thing,' he told Scroll. 'The attacks should continue until the terrorists are completely destroyed and cannot do this again.'
Thousands of miles from the border, Mahato, 46, was unfazed by the prospect of war. 'We might suffer a little but in return Pakistan will be obliterated,' he said. 'After Operation Sindoor, I am awaiting Operation Mangalsutra,' he added, referring to the offensive's code name which paid homage to the women who had watched terrorists gun down their husbands in Pahalgam, Kashmir.
The Indian government said the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack had prompted it to launch a 'non-escalatory' offensive.
On May 10, after four days of conflict which saw both countries send drones and missiles into each other's territories, India and Pakistan agreed to stop the fire.
The news left Mahato disappointed. 'The government did not do the right thing by agreeing to the ceasefire,' he told Scroll on Sunday. 'They should have bombed Pakistan as much as possible on the first day itself… We could have won that day itself and wiped out Pakistan.'
In Ambala, Anil Chawla, an e-rickshaw driver, was indignant. 'This is not done,' he told Scroll. 'Did they [the Indian government] take revenge for what those terrorists did? They should have because that is how this matter began.'
He agreed that people had died on both sides of the border but felt that the conflict should have continued. 'Pakistan looked weak. We should have annexed them,' he claimed.
Chawla was also unhappy about the United States claiming that it had helped broker the ceasefire. 'We should have agreed to stop if the third one [US] told Pakistan that they should hand over those terrorists to India,' he said.
Closer to the border, in the town of Ferozepur, Punjab, the reactions were starkly different. A wave of relief swept through the town as people poured into the streets and parks to get some fresh air after days of being holed up at home due to precautionary blackouts.
'We have come out with the children and our family – let them enjoy [the outdoors] for some time,' said an elderly woman at a park in Ferozepur. 'The children are young. They get restless indoors at night. Even then, we kept them indoors with the lights off for several days.'
A middle-aged man said that before the 'jung', or 'war', it felt like India had to take revenge for the tourists who were identified as Hindus and shot dead. 'But the war-like situation felt scary,' he said. Children were being killed, he said, referring to the cross-border shelling and drone attacks that have killed at least 21 civilians, including four children. 'Ab jo ho gaya hai, sab kuch acha ho gaya hai,' he said. Now what has happened is good.
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'Both sides suffer'
As Scroll had reported previously, amid public endorsement for Operation Sindoor, many Indians were worried about the wider costs of conflict, particularly its impact on the economy. The news of a ceasefire came as welcome relief.
'War is very costly, both sides suffer in a war,' said Jaideep, a businessman in Ranchi who wished to be identified by a single name. 'If Trump and Modi have decided to call for a ceasefire then they have done the right thing.'
Nimit Sheth, who runs a business of spices in Mumbai, said he was happy with the way the Indian government had handled the situation. 'The government has done a wonderful job of keeping citizens informed on a timely basis via all social media handles and of ensuring safety of Indian citizens,' Sheth said.
He said that while the ceasefire was a 'good decision', he was concerned about Pakistan reportedly violating it on Saturday night. A few hours after both sides agreed to the ceasefire, there were reports of explosions in parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
'I feel a memorable response has to be given [by the government],' Sheth told Scroll.
Prema, a management student in Ranchi, echoed this view. 'What I have heard is that our army only attacked their military stations but Pakistan has been attacking our civilian population. They continued their attacks even after the ceasefire was called yesterday,' she said. 'I think we should respond to these attacks strongly, otherwise it will feel like our military isn't doing anything.'
Lives at stake
But many others felt the most important consideration was the human cost of the war. What will we get out of war, asked Gurjent Singh, a shopowner in Ambala. 'Only loss. Both us and for them.'
'War is wrong. What happened in Pahalgam is also wrong, but we have taken revenge,' he said. 'I have a cousin in the army and I'm sure there will be loss [if the conflict continues].'
In Mumbai, coconut seller Mohammed Ismail said the compromise between the two nations was the best news he had heard in the last few days. 'Terrorists target people based on religion. And the governments are engaging in attacks which are leading to civilian deaths. In both cases, innocents are dying,' Ismail said.
Nisha, an Ambala resident, said Indian soldiers had died in the past few days. 'Tomorrow, it could be our turn,' she said. Pakistan might not have a lot to lose, she said, but India does. 'Have we built our nation so that it could be destroyed one day?'
Chakir Hussain, a music composer from Assam who lives in Mumbai, said that the ceasefire was 'the right move' and further escalation would have only cost more human lives. 'Our target was training camps of terrorists. So far the government has done well and I [continue to] trust their decision.'
In Ambala, a domestic worker who did not want to be identified, said a war would have meant suffering and loss for everyone. 'The rich will profit and the poor will suffer,' she said. 'The government did a good thing by agreeing to a compromise.'
Fake news causes anxiety
Though many share the sense of relief, popular Assamese singer Nilutpal Bora found out that the mere mention of peace is an invitation for online abuse. On Friday, Bora put up a post saying 'Say NO to war' on Facebook only to be trolled. He had to hide the post.
'Some unknown people also called me on my phone and abused me, my minor child and my mother,' he told Scroll. 'I stand for peace,' he said, pointing out that history shows war has devastating consequences.
Misleading and false information has also left some anxious.
R Kalita, a 36-year-old researcher of cultural history based in Itanagar, said she couldn't sleep for two nights. She said the nonstop news coverage and deluge of misinformation also left her feeling 'blinded'.
In Assam, an English high school teacher who did not want to be identified, said there was a far too wide a gap between the official briefings by the government and defence spokespersons and what news channels were saying.
She said it was also alarming to see overzealous citizens convinced that India could wipe out another country with no consequences. 'While people leading the war and responsible for safeguarding India's citizens are insisting on a non-tragic outcome, it did not reflect on our attitude in the past four days,' she said.