Latest news with #BrahmaChellaney
Hans India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
India should be cautious about Pakistan's false claims: Op Sindoor
While India is struggling to protect the common man living on the borders against Pakistan army-supported terrorists, some international powers are keen on testing the sophistication of Pakistan's imported arsenal. However, the results proved far from decisive. India carried out precision airstrikes on nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It was very close to war, but India acted with restraint and targeted only terrorist camps and military bases, and not civilians. India can target every system at Pakistan's base, but Air Marshal AK Bharti explained that the country has maintained restraint despite its high capability. Our military operation, Operation Sindoor, targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK, especially militant camps in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Bahawalpur. Despite these setbacks, Pakistan breached the ceasefire within hours after the May 10 agreement. It was an attack from Pakistan! On May 8-9, Pakistan launched a massive drone attack using around 300-400 drones, targeting 36 locations in India, including military bases and religious sites like those in Srinagar and Naliya. India suffered serious human losses because of mindless terror. Still, the IAF's response was directed only at military installations, avoiding civilians and collateral damage. Pakistan launched a massive drone attack on Indian cities, while our fully prepared air defence forces successfully countered the drone attacks, preventing any damage to the intended targets. Pakistan launched its own military operation, targeting several key bases in India. They allowed civilian aircraft to fly out of Lahore during the drone attacks, including international passenger aircraft, which posed a significant challenge for India's response. Yes. Indian air defence shot down most of the drones, and no major damage occurred. Japan Times' report Well-known columnist, Brahma Chellaney wrote in his column, 'The Japan Times,' that the J-10Cs launched multiple PL-15E missiles at Indian targets, but there is no independent verification of successful hits. India's integrated air defences withstood the onslaught, gaining air superiority'. Every Indian, and our army, felt proud 'by the conflict's end, Indian airstrikes had crippled major Pakistani air bases — including Nur Khan and Bholari — without suffering any confirmed retaliatory damage. Nur Khan, near Pakistan's nuclear command and army headquarters, was particularly symbolic. Its precise targeting by Indian cruise missiles signaled a calibrated message: Even high-value, well-defended assets are not beyond reach.' And 'Pakistan reportedly launched 300 to 400 drones in a single night, yet satellite imagery showed little damage on Indian soil. India, by contrast, relied on precision standoff weapons — especially the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile, codeveloped with Russia, which successfully hit high-value targets in Pakistan with minimal risk to Indian military personnel.' The Japan Times wrote that India and China remain locked in a military standoff at the Himalayas and this was triggered in 2020 by Chinese encroachments on Indian border lands. Despite diplomatic moves to ease tensions, both countries continue to mass troops and weaponry along the disputed frontier. The combat data generated from the conflict with Pakistan offers India an invaluable edge in anticipating Chinese capabilities and countermeasures. Meanwhile, Pakistan claimed that they had shot down at least five Indian fighter jets on the first day. But there was no proof, no wreckage photos and satellite imagery to corroborate the claim. The Indian military dismissed the allegation, stating that all its pilots had returned safely. It was a major embarrassment for Pakistan. Its Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was under fire for promoting misinformation in the wake of Operation Sindoor. False and fake Readers should use fact-checkers like Factly. Fact: This video showing visuals of a crashed fighter jet being lifted by a helicopter is AI-generated. It was uploaded on May 3, before the start of 'Operation Sindoor'. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE'. 'Factly' explained, 'We found discrepancies in the viral video, prompting suspicion that it might have been generated using AI. To gather more information, we conducted a reverse image search of the key frames, which led us to the same video uploaded on a YouTube channel on May 3, three days before Operation Sindoor. In that video, it is described as an AI-generated scene showing a crashed fighter jet being lifted by a helicopter'. BrahMos: Standout performer It is called Brahmastra against our rivals 'The BrahMos missile, already exported by India, emerged as the standout performer during the conflict. Further, the newspaper commented, ''This was not a conventional border conflict, but a high-tech showdown featuring drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, and long-range air defences. While India and Pakistan were the primary belligerents, a third power — China — played a pivotal, if indirect, role…. Beijing's involvement via the supply of advanced weapon systems and real-time satellite reconnaissance data to Pakistan turned the engagement into a revealing trial run for Chinese arms in a live combat setting. It was reported by the media that IAF Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan had on May 31 rejected Pakistan's claims that it had shot down six Indian warplanes during Operation Sindoor, calling the information 'absolutely incorrect'. The CDS added, 'what is important is not the jet being down, but why they were being downed'. General Chauhan clarified that the good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake, which was made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and fly our jets again, targeting at long range'. He stated that 'the backbone of Pakistan' was badly damaged. Congress questions: Congress leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh wanted to know why the Prime Minister did call for an all-party meeting on the issue 'Why did people learn about the operation through an interview with General Chauhan in Singapore?' 'Were some Indian jets destroyed in the early stages? Why no clear info? Some Telangana leaders accused the Centre of giving in to pressure from the US President Donald President Trump and hastily rushing into a ceasefire. Jairam Ramesh said on X that the Centre had not taken Parliament into confidence even as the nation gets to know of the first phase of Operation Sindoor. The Chief Minister of Telangana claimed that the Centre was afraid of Trump's pressure and had surrendered to the ceasefire. Citizens should verify India is under threat not just from terrorists and enemy countries, but also from fake news and social media rumours. Criticism is welcome in a democracy, but it must be responsible and based on facts. National security should come before politics. Let's support our armed forces, verify information, and stay united. Pakistan can never be trusted. (The writer is Professor of the Constitution of India and founder-Dean, School of Law, Mahindra University, Hyderabad)
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
India and Pakistan's air battle is over. Their water war has begun.
India's targeting of water, however, is not just about combating terrorism, analysts say. The Indian government has been frustrated by the 65-year-old treaty, believing it has favored Pakistan from the start, and analysts say that India is hoping to force Pakistan to renegotiate it. That could allow India to better use its allotted waters to meet the needs of its immense population and adapt to climate change. Advertisement India's decision to put the agreement 'in abeyance' -- and the vague conditions it has imposed on Pakistan to reverse that -- has injected a note of uncertainty into the future of a treaty that has survived multiple wars and conflicts. A full breakdown would have serious consequences for both countries, especially Pakistan, an arid land with few other sources of water. Advertisement Rising temperatures and increased demand make South Asia's water systems among the world's most stressed. The hostile neighbors also share a need to address dangers like flash floods and glacial lake bursts unleashed by global warming. And if changes in river flows endanger Pakistani lives or employment, India could face international opprobrium. The treaty specifies how the waters of the Indus River basin -- around which one of the world's oldest civilizations, the Indus Valley civilization, flourished -- will be used by the two countries. The agreement, which became necessary after India and Pakistan became independent nations in 1947, took nine years to negotiate and was signed in 1960 in what its preamble called a 'spirit of goodwill,' and with the World Bank as a mediator. Pakistan has unrestricted use of three western rivers, and India has the same claim to three eastern rivers. India also has limited rights to the western rivers within its territory, including for irrigation, and the ability to build dams for power generation. The treaty's allotment of 80 percent of the waters in the Indus system to Pakistan was a 'remarkable act of generosity, driven by the hope of promoting subcontinental peace,' said Brahma Chellaney, a strategic analyst who has written about water and conflict. Scientists and officials say the treaty has held up because it is a sound legal document that provides for a permanent commission with representatives from each country who are expected to be in regular contact, as well as mechanisms for settling conflicts using neutral experts and arbitration. But it has been a trying process over the decades between deeply distrustful neighbors. Advertisement In 1992, when five days of heavy monsoon rains caused deadly flooding, Pakistani officials accused India of unannounced dam releases, while India maintained that the actions were necessary owing to the extreme rainfall and were in compliance with protocol. India currently has six dams on the western rivers, with plans to build more. Pakistan has raised objections to several of the dam designs and plans, including the Kishenganga hydroelectric project. Over the past decade, the treaty has encountered increasing geopolitical friction. After attacks on Indian troops in 2016 and 2019 in Indian-administered Kashmir, India announced plans to curtail water flows to Pakistan but did not follow through. The treaty can be altered by mutual consent. As India has formally sought to revise the treaty, Pakistan has rejected these efforts, according to Indian government records and experts. 'The obstructionist approach' continues to prevent the 'utilization of the legitimate rights by India,' Parvathaneni Harish, India's permanent representative to the United Nations, said at a forum last week on water and armed conflict. At the same meeting, Pakistan's deputy permanent representative, Usman Jadoon, said that India was using river waters as a political weapon, and that Islamabad would not allow New Delhi to turn water into a tool of coercion. India has little ability to substantially reduce the flow of water into Pakistan, and building the infrastructure to do so would take years, experts say. But Pakistan is unnerved by India's suspension of its participation in the treaty in part because India has stopped providing hydrological data, according to Indian government officials and experts. Because it is downstream, Pakistan relies heavily on India to share this data, which is crucial for Pakistani agriculture, a sector that accounts for nearly one-quarter of the country's economy and employs 37 percent of the labor force. Advertisement Information from India about glacier melt, the speed of floodwaters and precipitation levels, as well as timing decisions on opening sluice gates, is vital for Pakistan to determine its irrigation needs and flood management plans. Fazalullah Qureshi, a former senior Pakistani official, linked this data gap to Pakistan's inability to anticipate devastating floods in 2022, which killed over 1,700 people and affected 33 million of the country's 245 million people. During the coming monsoon season, Pakistani water managers will need to operate in a more uncertain environment, relying less on formal notifications and more on real-time observations and rapid-response systems, said Hassaan F. Khan, an assistant professor of environmental studies at Tufts University. Khan said that underscored the 'urgent need for Pakistan to invest in more nimble, adaptive water governance.' Qureshi said there was no immediate threat to the country's water supply, but a prolonged suspension of treaty mechanisms could severely affect agriculture and the broader economy. This article originally appeared in
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
India won the war against Pakistan but lost the narrative: Brahma Chellaney
Airstrikes hit targets, avoided escalation India moved too slowly on global messaging Live Events US took credit, India delayed rebuttal Symbolism failed to translate into diplomacy Diplomatic outreach after the fact Warning from the past (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel India may have achieved a tactical victory during the recent four-day conflict with Pakistan, but it missed the chance to control the international narrative, said geostrategist Brahma Chellaney in an interaction with India Today. The military operation, launched in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam , dealt a heavy blow to Pakistan's air defence infrastructure without leading to a full-scale war. However, India's slow diplomatic response weakened its strategic position globally, Chellaney launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan. The operation was in retaliation to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. According to Chellaney, the Indian Air Force conducted precise strikes on key Pakistani airbases, including Nur Khan and Bholari, exposing weaknesses in Chinese-supplied defence response, Pakistan attempted to strike Indian military sites on May 8, 9, and 10. India retaliated by hitting several key Pakistani military assets such as radar sites, air defence systems, and command the evening of May 10, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said both countries agreed to an immediate halt to all military actions across land, air, and military success, Chellaney criticised India for failing to shape the international conversation. "India's sluggish response time [in setting the global narrative] has cost it diplomatic capital," he explained, "India won the battle but lost the narrative. Indian strikes achieved the objective of imposing costs without triggering an all-out war. But India failed to translate its short-term victory into achieving the larger goal of advancing the overall struggle against a rogue neighbour that exports terrorism."Chellaney said India took two days to counter US President Donald Trump's claim that he brokered the ceasefire. "By then, the world had come to believe that the US mediated an end to hostilities," he said. "To shape international opinion, we must act swiftly with timely statements and rebuttals to counter disinformation."He added, "In keeping with India's bureaucratic culture, India often responds too slowly, allowing others to define the narrative first."Chellaney highlighted the symbolism used in Operation Sindoor, where Indian women avenged the death of 26 soldiers. But he said it lacked follow-up in terms of global outreach. "The irony is this, India framed Operation Sindoor in powerful symbolism as Indian women avenging the murder of 26 husbands. But that powerful symbolism was not backed up by a proactive public diplomacy campaign."He said India is now trying to recover ground through diplomatic efforts but noted that much of the global perception has already formed. "What can delegations of MPs do now?" he seven all-party delegations led by Shashi Tharoor (Congress), Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP), Sanjay Kumar Jha (JDU), Baijayant Panda (BJP), Kanimozhi (DMK), Supriya Sule (NCP), and Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena) are visiting several countries. Their objective is to explain the background and objectives of Operation Sindoor and counter Pakistan's narrative on expressed concern over India repeating past mistakes. "The military movement was in India's favour. Pakistan's air defences proved to be much weaker than Pakistan had expected. They were sending so many drones and missiles into India but not effectively. India, on the other hand, sent a limited number of missiles and drones and was able to hit its targets."He earlier remarked that India had "snatched defeat from the jaws of victory" following the ceasefire understanding announced on May 10.
India Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
India won Op Sindoor fight but slow to set global narrative: Analyst Brahma Chellaney
India may have emerged militarily superior in the recent four-day conflict with Pakistan, but it moved too slowly when it came to setting the all-important international narrative, noted geostrategist Brahma Chellaney airstrikes achieved their objective of crippling major Pakistani airbases without provoking an all-out war, Chellaney analysed, while warning that a failure to shape global perception could undermine India's long-term strategic goals. "India's sluggish response time [in setting the global narrative] has cost it diplomatic capital," Chellaney me be frank. India won the battle but lost the narrative. Indian strikes achieved the objective of imposing costs without triggering an all-out war. But India failed to translate its short-term victory into achieving the larger goal of advancing the overall struggle against a rogue neighbour that exports terrorism," he told India Today TV. According to Chellaney, India's airstrikes on key Pakistani airbases like Nur Khan and Bholari not only avoided confirmed retaliation but also exposed the vulnerabilities of the Chinese weapons platforms used by Pakistan. Despite this, he said, "Losing the international narrative holds significance. It signifies failing to influence broader international perception and understanding of the core issue - Pakistan's cross-border terrorism."India launched Operation Sindoor with precision strikes on nine terror camps in the early hours of May 7, retaliating to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, killing 100 terrorists. In the days that followed - May 8, 9 and 10 - Pakistan attempted strikes on Indian military installations. India, however, hit back hard, delivering substantial damage to several critical Pakistani military assets, including airbases, radar sites, air defence systems and command the evening of May 10, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that both countries had agreed to an immediate halt to all military actions, across land, air and points to two major reasons for India's faltering on the global front. He said that successive Indian governments have focused too narrowly on shaping domestic opinion while "ceding the international narrative by default".He added, "Operation Sindoor is merely the latest example. Sending delegations of MPs abroad was the equivalent of seeking to close the stable door after the horse had bolted.""India's sluggish response time has cost it diplomatic capital. In keeping with India's bureaucratic culture, India often responds too slowly, allowing others to define the narrative first," he cited specific missteps, including a delayed response to US President Donald Trump's boast that he brokered the ceasefire. "India took two full days to respond. By then, the world had come to believe that the US mediated an end to hostilities," he said. "To shape international opinion, we must act swiftly with timely statements and rebuttals to counter disinformation."In a particularly sharp critique, Chellaney said, "The irony is this, India framed Operation Sindoor in powerful symbolism as Indian women avenging the murder of 26 husbands. But that powerful symbolism was not backed up by a proactive public diplomacy campaign."advertisementThe veteran expert believes that India is now scrambling to repair the damage through diplomatic offensives but that the international narrative has already hardened. "What can delegations of MPs do now?" he seven all-party delegations led by Shashi Tharoor (Congress), Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP), Sanjay Kumar Jha (JDU), Baijayant Panda (BJP), Kanimozhi (DMK), Supriya Sule (NCP) and Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena) are in several countries to brief the governments on Operation Sindoor and India's fight against Pakistan-sponsored Chellaney said India "snatched defeat from the jaws of victory," while reacting to the unexpected ceasefire understanding announced between India and Pakistan on May 10. Voicing disappointment over the development, the veteran expert said India failed to learn from history and is merely repeating past strategic mistakes."The military movement was in India's favour. Pakistan's air defences proved to be much weaker than Pakistan had expected. They were sending so many drones and missiles into India but not effectively. India, on the other hand, sent a limited number of missiles and drones and was able to hit its targets," Chellaney told India Today Watch IN THIS STORY#India-Pakistan#Operation Sindoor#Jammu and Kashmir
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Operation Sindoor: Limited operation with potent messaging
1 2 Operation Sindoor has been described by noted strategic expert Brahma Chellaney as shorter than the shortest — six-day Arab-Israel war of 1967. Unless resumed, this paused conflict has defied the recent global trend of unending and festering wars: notably, the Ukraine-Russia and Gaza conflicts. Yet, it cannot be dismissed as mere skirmish because of the potency and significance of messages delivered. These, of course, require consolidation. While signalling the new normal, it has also left few unanswered queries, which need to be examined. The most important one many asked by using an analogy from cricket: why declare when on the threshold of a century? Characterisation of operation It is difficult to propose an exact description for a mere 88-hour exchange, triggered 14 days after a dastardly terrorist mayhem at Pahalgam, accounting for 26 innocent lives. Notwithstanding brevity, conflict threatened to transit into the nuclear domain, bringing nuclear facilities in Kirana Hills, in our daily debates. The operation was limited to a non-contact domain with aerial delivery of lethal destruction, more like a futuristic, sci-fi exchange. Large formations were not even mobilized, so intention to mount conventional offensive had not been firmed up. Missiles (beyond visual range) and drones were battling air-defence grids — Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), Akash-Teer, and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 35 & Earning? Protect Your Family with ₹1 Cr Life Cover ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo All three make an indigenous version of the Israels' famed Iron Dome, but ours combines equipment of diverse origin — Russia, France, Israel, USA, and indigenous developments. Defying the limitation of medium, spatially, geographic spread, it stretched from North Skardu to South Bholari (Karachi). Most importantly, the operation touched the very heartland of Pakistan Punjab — Rawalpindi, Muridke near Lahore, Sialkot and Bhawalpur. Military targets degraded included key air-defence installations, command and control and logistics nodes, Sargodha, Chaklala and Nur Khan (Rawalpindi) bases. Suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) has given India a long-term, choke-hold leverage over the agricultural economy of Pakistan's Punjab. Pakistan is already pleading for reconsideration, but we need to remain focused on a pragmatic review. Politically, while India projected control and purpose; Pakistani hierarchy displayed disparate voices and desperation. Pindi would certainly be in turmoil with attacks on terror hubs of JuD (LeT), JeM and HuM, described by PM Modi as the "universities of global terrorism". All bases/determinants, postulated in Pakistani nuclear expert Lt Gen Khalid Kidwai's famous matrix of red lines for nuclear threshold, were attacked — spatial, military, economic and political. Pakistan's nuclear sabre-rattling got completely debunked, once again. India has cemented space for conventional escalation, created after Kargil and Balakot and enlarged it manyfold. India has also operationalised and refined its integrated response matrix, synergising a large number of imported and indigenous platforms and systems. In mid-2016, when I retired, the considered view was that Pakistan had an edge over India in Air-Defence Control and Reporting (AD-C&R) with dedicated AD Theatre Command. It is great credit to our air defence warriors that we not only fended off attacks, but degraded their defences, laying bare critical vulnerabilities. By some estimates, the Pakistan Air Force has lost 15%-20% capability. New doctrine and ceasefire The new Modi doctrine has outlined three postulates. First, certainty of response, decisive retaliation on India's terms. Second, no tolerance for nuclear blackmail. Third, no distinction between terrorists and their sponsors/controllers. In his signature style, the PM ruled out terror and talks, and terror and trade. He amplified this by saying that blood and water will not be allowed to flow together. There is a lot of chatter on the escalation ladder and suspension of exchange, which is sought to be now converted into a ceasefire to conform to agreements of 2003 and 2021. While we may not want to be seen to be pushed into a ceasefire, it is difficult to deny that conflict between the two nations, armed with nukes, will inevitably draw in global and regional powers. Ladder is a complex matrix, and it would be influenced by the USA, China, Russia and even Arabs. With external dependencies, stamina for extending conflict in the high-tech domain by both sides is limited. The ladder has got complicated with addition of new domains of cyber and drones. Calibration of matrix and pace of escalation needs to be further refined. It appeared to have outstripped the planned escalation in the current round. The masterstroke was defining punishment delivered just before cessation. Strategically, we have achieved our objectives and avoided a debilitating conflict, which could have impeded our journey towards Viksit Bharat. Way Forward The country is galvanized with patriotic fervour and it is time to build on national consensus. The govt should go the extra mile to connect with sane elements in opposition on issues of national security. It is also time we address our internal fault-lines, which are sought to be exploited by Pakistan. To begin with, we need to redouble efforts towards socio-political initiatives in J&K, Northeast and fix accountability for lapses. While we have managed to put it across to our prickly and persistent adversary Pakistan, the primary one, Dragon (China), lurks in shadows. It would have mapped our capabilities and gathered electronic intelligence. It has also tested its weapons. We need to prepare to dissuade China and Pakistan in collusive mode. There is enough evidence that we cannot bank too much on external support. We need to revamp our diplomatic outreach to bolster support. 'Ekla Chalo Re' and 'Atam Nirbharata' are inspiring, and even heady, but we can do co-operative joint ventures, which could be rebranded as 'Smart Atam Nirbharata'. There is a definite and urgent imperative to refine our strategic communication. More importantly, rein-in our electronic channels, who made a mockery of a refined operation In conclusion, one can only reiterate two guiding parameters. First, we need to adopt 'Josh with Hosh' as bigger challenges await us. Finally, for 'Viksit Bharat', we have to develop the culture of 'Viksit Samvad'. (Author is former GOC-in-C of Western Command, Indian Army)
