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Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
India, Pakistan compete to sell their feuding narratives abroad. Will this work?
Pakistan's Rangers stand guard at the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor complex, which runs along the India-Pakistan border in Kartarpur, on May 22. PHOTO: AFP - Military action between India and Pakistan might have stopped for now, but the feuding South Asian neighbours are ramping up a war of words. Both governments are sending teams to key partners including Singapore to press their cases and shape global perceptions on the latest flashpoint that sparked fears of an open conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries. India's campaign, in particular, is notable for both its scale and its non-partisan nature. Seven delegations are fanning across the world to places from Belgium, Germany and the United States; to Bahrain, Guyana and Panama. In total, around 59 retired diplomats, ruling and opposition politicians are travelling to 33 countries. New Delhi and Islamabad agreed to a ceasefire on May 10 , after four days of a tit-for-tat military confrontation. India had accused Pakistan of being involved in the April 22 'terror attack' that killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam in Indian-held Kashmir - something Pakistan denied. India's latest effort, say analysts, is aimed at getting international buy-in from friendly countries for how it approaches what it says is state-sponsored terrorism emanating from Pakistan, to diplomatically isolate its neighbour, and to amplify New Delhi's message that it had little choice but to strike due to the attack; that it was well within its rights to do so. 'The parliamentary delegations will make the world aware that India will consider future terrorist attacks as an act of war and will take retaliatory action,' said Mr Anil Wadhwa, a retired Indian diplomat. The delegations are also striving to plug gaps in India's messaging amid domestic criticism that it has not articulated its position effectively. 'There is a sense that India's narrative has not fully got across globally. So there is a need to explain to India's friends and key partners,' Professor C Raja Mohan, a visiting research professor at Singapore's Institute of South Asian Studies, told The Straits Times. He added: 'After nearly a decade of toxic and intense polarisation, this seems to be an effort to bring opposition parties together. Even those who are critical of the government have joined these delegations.' The delegation to Singapore, which arrived on May 27, met a host of leaders in politics, business and academia including Law Minister Edwin Tong and Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Sim Ann. 'We discussed India's perspective on the situation in Pahalgam following the terror attacks on 22 April 2025. I reaffirmed Singapore's firm stance against terrorism and our strong condemnation of the terror attacks in Pahalgam,' Mr Tong said on social media after the meeting. The nine-member delegation, led by Mr Sanjay Kumar Jha, a leader of the Janata Dal (United), a regional party, started their messaging campaign in Japan and South Korea, and was in Indonesia on May 28. Their tour ends in Malaysia. Not to be left behind, Pakistan too has indicated it plans to dispatch a multi-party delegation led by Pakistan People's Party chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Starting next week, this delegation will visit Washington, London, Paris and Brussels to 'highlight India's disinformation campaign and its attempts to destabilise regional peace,' according to Pakistani media. Separately, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is on a visit to Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan from May 25-30 to hold 'wide-ranging discussions' including on the recent hostilities with India. These visits are also aimed at building global support on issues like water security, after India in retaliation for the Kashmir attack put the Indus water treaty, which governs water sharing of six cross border rivers, in abeyance, said Mr Bhutto-Zardari to The Dawn newspaper. For India, one key aim is to reverse some earlier missteps in its war of narratives and to rally the home ground. New Delhi reportedly expected stronger global support in its fight against Pakistan, and was also blindsided by US President Donald Trump repeatedly claiming credit for brokering the ceasefire between the two South Asian neighbours. India abhors third-party intervention in what it views as a bilateral matter, and has insisted the truce was the result of simply an agreement with Pakistan. It shudders too, at Mr Trump's description of both India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Sharif as 'strong leaders', given India's self-belief in its stature as an emerging global power. Many Indian commentators thus feel that New Delhi has failed to present its position clearly, partly due to disinformation from mainstream Indian television channels. Many in India also felt that the Pakistani leadership was more visible on international media in the initial days of the hostilities. ''Pakistan managed to reposition itself diplomatically... and recast the conflict as one of two equals requiring mediation,' wrote former Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao in an opinion piece in The Indian Express newspaper. Mr Salman Khurshid, a former India External Affairs Minister and a member of the country's delegation to Singapore, said that he felt that the trip had been 'successful' given the response in the different countries. 'There is a reiteration of empathy for India, condolences for the people who lost their lives, and condemnation of terrorism. That has been reiterated, and I think that is good ,' Mr Khurshid told ST. 'There is also the entire narrative from the Indian point of view, and it's a good thing that we've come, and we are able to revive that narrative . It's important that the narrative is given a push .' India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release that the delegation 'requested Singapore's support in the fight against terrorism', particularly in multilateral forums like the United Nations and the Financial Action Task Force, a global financial crime watchdog. It did not elaborate on how Singapore responded. Mr Modi has vowed strong action against cross-border terrorism, adding that any further 'terrorist attack' would be regarded as an 'act of war'. Defence minister Rajnath Singh has framed this as a redefinition of India's policy against terrorism. India's message through these delegations has also been that it will not make any distinction between the state sponsoring terrorism and the groups carrying out the terror attacks. India has long blamed Pakistan for cross-border terrorism, accusing its military of abetting and aiding Pakistan-based terror groups that target India, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba. India has blamed The Resistance Front, which Indian authorities believe is a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy, for the Pahalgam attack. This time round, while India accused Pakistan of triggering the hostilities, Pakistan has in turn accused India of being the aggressor, denying Indian allegations that it is abetting terrorism or using it as state policy. Crucially, India has not yet managed to arrest the perpetrators of the Kashmir attacks , though officials have said that they have been identified. 'It's not that Pakistan has defeated India when it comes to narrative wars,' said Mr Faran Jeffery of Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism, a UK-based counterterrorism think-tank. 'Better is expected from India. So when India didn't present any evidence for its claims and didn't even bother to complete its own internal investigation before it escalated with Pakistan, that was seen as irresponsible in some capitals.' He added: 'Will (delegations) produce any results? I'm not entirely sure.' With additional reporting by Arvind Jayaram in Singapore. Nirmala Ganapathy is India bureau chief at The Straits Times. She is based in New Delhi and writes about India's foreign policy and politics. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Arab Times
15-02-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
Guarded optimism in India as Trump and Modi outline plans to deepen defense partnership
SRINAGAR, India, Feb 15, (AP): There was guarded optimism among military experts in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump outlined plans to ramp up sales of defense systems to New Delhi, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, to deepen the US-India strategic relationship. "Defense sector is a big money, and India happens to be one of the top buyers in the world,' said Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia, India's director-general for military operations from 2012 to 2014. "As long as we buy, Trump will be happy but it's surely going to expand our conventional deterrence.' The meeting signaled that "defense diplomacy is the core of diplomacy these days," Bhatia said. In a joint statement at the White House, the two leaders announced plans to sign a new 10-year framework later this year for the US-India Major Defense Partnership. Modi and Trump "pledged to elevate military cooperation across all domains - air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace - through enhanced training, exercises, and operations, incorporating the latest technologies,' the statement said. The leaders also "committed to break new ground to support and sustain the overseas deployments of the US and Indian militaries in the Indo-Pacific, including enhanced logistics and intelligence sharing," the statement said. While Indian military experts have long sought to diversify national defense procurements, analysts say it will take years to reduce New Delhi's dependency on Russian arms, even with expanded defense cooperation with the US Raja Mohan, an analyst at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore, said expansion in defense cooperation would take time. "What India wants is coproduction and more research and development in India. It's a long-term project,' he said. It is difficult for India to remain dependent on Russia for defense equipment owing to difficulties obtaining parts and upgrades. However, a deal with the US for F-35 stealth fighter jets will not fill India's immediate need for more than 100 aircraft, said Rahul Bedi, an independent defense analyst based in India. "They are not going to come tomorrow,' Bedi said. "It's going to take several years to start arriving,' he added. As its geostrategic competition with China has grown manifold in recent years, India has diversified defense acquisitions from the US, Israel and France while seeking to move toward self-reliance in this sector. But New Delhi is still far from getting over its dependence on supplies and spare parts from Russia that makes up to 60% of Indian defense equipment.
Al Arabiya
14-02-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Guarded optimism in India as Trump and Modi outline plans to deepen defense partnership
There was guarded optimism among military experts in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump outlined plans to ramp up sales of defense systems to New Delhi, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, to deepen the US–India strategic relationship. 'Defense sector is a big money and India happens to be one of the top buyers in the world,' said Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia, India's director general for military operations from 2012 to 2014. 'As long as we buy, Trump will be happy, but it's surely going to expand our conventional deterrence. The meeting signaled that defense diplomacy is the core of diplomacy these days.' In a joint statement at the White House, the two leaders announced plans to sign a new 10-year framework later this year for the US–India Major Defense Partnership. Modi and Trump pledged to elevate military cooperation across all domains – air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace – through enhanced training exercises and operations incorporating the latest technologies, the statement said. The leaders also committed to break new ground to support and sustain the overseas deployments of the US and Indian militaries in the Indo-Pacific, including enhanced logistics and intelligence sharing, the statement said. While Indian military experts have long sought to diversify national defense procurements, analysts say it will take years to reduce New Delhi's dependency on Russian arms even with expanded defense cooperation with the US. Raja Mohan, an analyst at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore, said expansion in defense cooperation would take time. 'What India wants is coproduction and more research and development in India. It's a long-term project,' he said. 'It is difficult for India to remain dependent on Russia for defense equipment owing to difficulties obtaining parts and upgrades.' However, a deal with the US for F-35 stealth fighter jets will not fill India's immediate need for more than 100 aircraft, said Rahul Bedi, an independent defense analyst based in India. 'They are not going to come tomorrow,' Bedi said. 'It's going to take several years to start arriving,' he added. As its geostrategic competition with China has grown manifold in recent years, India has diversified defense acquisitions from the US, Israel, and France while seeking to move toward self-reliance in this sector. But New Delhi is still far from getting over its dependence on supplies and spare parts from Russia that makes up to sixty percent of Indian defense equipment. With vast borders and protracted border conflicts with neighboring countries Pakistan and China, India also relies hugely on Moscow for military upgrades and modernization. 'India faces threats from China and Pakistan and a threat from collaborative Pakistan–China. We need technologically capable systems to counter these threats, and one country that can give such systems is America,' said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who from 2014 to 2016 headed the Indian military's Northern Command. China's rise as a global power also has pushed India closer to the US and to the Quad, a new Indo-Pacific strategic alliance among the US, India, Australia, and Japan. The growing strategic alliance accuses China of economic coercion and military maneuvering in the region, upsetting the status quo, and has ruffled feathers in Beijing, which sees the relationship as a counterweight against China's rise. Indian fears of Chinese territorial expansion are bolstered by the growing presence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean and Beijing's efforts to strengthen ties with not only Pakistan but also Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. 'The major threat is from China which is outstripping India's capability,' Hooda said. In the early 1990s, about seventy percent of Indian army weapons, eighty percent of its air force systems, and eighty-five percent of its navy platforms were of Soviet origin. From 2016 to 2020, Russia accounted for nearly forty-nine percent of India's defense imports, while French and Israeli shares were eighteen percent and thirteen percent, respectively, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Major Indian purchases from the US included long-range maritime patrol aircraft, C-130 transport aircraft, missiles, and drones. 'The defense sales also can potentially offset the trade deficit between the two countries,' Hooda said. 'It's a win-win for all. America will get more business and we'll get modern weapons,' Hooda said. 'It will also help to ease pressure on the tariff issue and trade deficit.'
The Independent
14-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Guarded optimism in India as Trump and Modi outline plans to deepen defense partnership
There was guarded optimism among military experts in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump outlined plans to ramp up sales of defense systems to New Delhi, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, to deepen the U.S.-India strategic relationship. 'Defense sector is a big money, and India happens to be one of the top buyers in the world,' said Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia, India's director-general for military operations from 2012 to 2014. 'As long as we buy, Trump will be happy but it's surely going to expand our conventional deterrence.' The meeting signaled that 'defense diplomacy is the core of diplomacy these days," Bhatia said. In a joint statement at the White House, the two leaders announced plans to sign a new 10-year framework later this year for the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership. Modi and Trump 'pledged to elevate military cooperation across all domains — air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace — through enhanced training, exercises, and operations, incorporating the latest technologies,' the statement said. The leaders also 'committed to break new ground to support and sustain the overseas deployments of the U.S. and Indian militaries in the Indo-Pacific, including enhanced logistics and intelligence sharing," the statement said. While Indian military experts have long sought to diversify national defense procurements, analysts say it will take years to reduce New Delhi's dependency on Russian arms, even with expanded defense cooperation with the U.S. Raja Mohan, an analyst at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore, said expansion in defense cooperation would take time. 'What India wants is coproduction and more research and development in India. It's a long-term project,' he said. It is difficult for India to remain dependent on Russia for defense equipment owing to difficulties obtaining parts and upgrades. However, a deal with the U.S. for F-35 stealth fighter jets will not fill India's immediate need for more than 100 aircraft, said Rahul Bedi, an independent defense analyst based in India. 'They are not going to come tomorrow,' Bedi said. 'It's going to take several years to start arriving,' he added. As its geostrategic competition with China has grown manifold in recent years, India has diversified defense acquisitions from the U.S., Israel and France while seeking to move toward self-reliance in this sector. But New Delhi is still far from getting over its dependence on supplies and spare parts from Russia that makes up to 60% of Indian defense equipment. With vast borders and protracted border conflicts with neighboring countries Pakistan and China, India also relies hugely on Moscow for military upgrades and modernization. 'India faces threats from China and Pakistan, and a threat from collaborative Pakistan-China. We need technologically capable systems to counter these threats and one country that can give such systems is America,' said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who from 2014 to 2016 headed the Indian military's Northern Command. China's rise as a global power also has pushed India closer to the U.S. and to the Quad, a new Indo-Pacific strategic alliance among the U.S., India, Australia and Japan. The growing strategic alliance accuses China of economic coercion and military maneuvering in the region, upsetting the status quo, and has ruffled feathers in Beijing, which sees the relationship as a counterweight against China's rise. Indian fears of Chinese territorial expansion are bolstered by the growing presence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean and Beijing's efforts to strengthen ties with not only Pakistan but also Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. 'The major threat is from China which is outstripping India's capability,' Hooda said. In the early 1990s, about 70% of Indian army weapons, 80% of its air force systems and 85% of its navy platforms were of Soviet origin. From 2016 to 2020, Russia accounted for nearly 49% of India's defense imports while French and Israeli shares were 18% and 13%, respectively, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Major Indian purchases from the U.S. included long-range maritime patrol aircraft, C-130 transport aircraft, missiles and drones. The defense sales also can potentially offset the trade deficit between the two countries, Hooda said. 'It's a win-win for all. America will get more business, and we'll get modern weapons,' Hooda said. 'It will also help to ease pressure on the tariff issue and trade deficit.' ___
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Guarded optimism in India as Trump and Modi outline plans to deepen defense partnership
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — There was guarded optimism among military experts in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump outlined plans to ramp up sales of defense systems to New Delhi, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, to deepen the U.S.-India strategic relationship. 'Defense sector is a big money, and India happens to be one of the top buyers in the world,' said Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia, India's director-general for military operations from 2012 to 2014. 'As long as we buy, Trump will be happy but it's surely going to expand our conventional deterrence.' The meeting signaled that 'defense diplomacy is the core of diplomacy these days," Bhatia said. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. In a joint statement at the White House, the two leaders announced plans to sign a new 10-year framework later this year for the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership. Modi and Trump 'pledged to elevate military cooperation across all domains — air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace — through enhanced training, exercises, and operations, incorporating the latest technologies,' the statement said. The leaders also 'committed to break new ground to support and sustain the overseas deployments of the U.S. and Indian militaries in the Indo-Pacific, including enhanced logistics and intelligence sharing," the statement said. While Indian military experts have long sought to diversify national defense procurements, analysts say it will take years to reduce New Delhi's dependency on Russian arms, even with expanded defense cooperation with the U.S. Raja Mohan, an analyst at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore, said expansion in defense cooperation would take time. 'What India wants is coproduction and more research and development in India. It's a long-term project,' he said. It is difficult for India to remain dependent on Russia for defense equipment owing to difficulties obtaining parts and upgrades. However, a deal with the U.S. for F-35 stealth fighter jets will not fill India's immediate need for more than 100 aircraft, said Rahul Bedi, an independent defense analyst based in India. 'They are not going to come tomorrow,' Bedi said. 'It's going to take several years to start arriving,' he added. As its geostrategic competition with China has grown manifold in recent years, India has diversified defense acquisitions from the U.S., Israel and France while seeking to move toward self-reliance in this sector. But New Delhi is still far from getting over its dependence on supplies and spare parts from Russia that makes up to 60% of Indian defense equipment. With vast borders and protracted border conflicts with neighboring countries Pakistan and China, India also relies hugely on Moscow for military upgrades and modernization. 'India faces threats from China and Pakistan, and a threat from collaborative Pakistan-China. We need technologically capable systems to counter these threats and one country that can give such systems is America,' said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who from 2014 to 2016 headed the Indian military's Northern Command. China's rise as a global power also has pushed India closer to the U.S. and to the Quad, a new Indo-Pacific strategic alliance among the U.S., India, Australia and Japan. The growing strategic alliance accuses China of economic coercion and military maneuvering in the region, upsetting the status quo, and has ruffled feathers in Beijing, which sees the relationship as a counterweight against China's rise. Indian fears of Chinese territorial expansion are bolstered by the growing presence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean and Beijing's efforts to strengthen ties with not only Pakistan but also Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. 'The major threat is from China which is outstripping India's capability,' Hooda said. In the early 1990s, about 70% of Indian army weapons, 80% of its air force systems and 85% of its navy platforms were of Soviet origin. From 2016 to 2020, Russia accounted for nearly 49% of India's defense imports while French and Israeli shares were 18% and 13%, respectively, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Major Indian purchases from the U.S. included long-range maritime patrol aircraft, C-130 transport aircraft, missiles and drones. The defense sales also can potentially offset the trade deficit between the two countries, Hooda said. 'It's a win-win for all. America will get more business, and we'll get modern weapons,' Hooda said. 'It will also help to ease pressure on the tariff issue and trade deficit.' ___ Associated Press writer Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report.
