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Scroll.in
4 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
How democracy is weakened when states hide their military loses
When India and Pakistan clashed in May, both sides rushed to control the narrative. Pakistan claimed it had shot down five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, during Operation Sindoor. These claims were somewhat supported by international media: Reuters and CNN reported the loss of at least one Rafale based on US and French intelligence, while BBC Verify authenticated wreckage found in Bathinda, Punjab. Yet India has not come forward with a clear account of its losses. Instead, military officials issued vague acknowledgments, offering no confirmed numbers. This deliberate ambiguity allowed Pakistan to shape the story. Its narrative went largely unchallenged, strengthening its symbolic standing in the region. India's silence created a vacuum filled with speculation: was it one Rafale, two or three? The refusal to clarify did more than just cede ground in the information war, it undermined public understanding, distorted strategic assessment and potentially impaired military learning. In an age of satellite surveillance, real-time battlefield imagery and open-source intelligence, it is nearly impossible to hide the facts of war. Yet many states continue to try. Governments that initiate or escalate military conflicts often attempt to downplay their own losses. From Russia in Ukraine to Israel in its conflict with Iran, and India in its long-running tensions with Pakistan, the instinct to control the optics remains strong. Leaders seek to maintain domestic morale, project strength, and shield themselves from political fallout. But the consequences of this approach can be grave and long-lasting. Ukraine war Russia's war in Ukraine is perhaps the most striking example of this pattern in recent years. From the outset of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Kremlin insisted that operations were proceeding according to plan. It described the war as a 'special military operation', downplayed Ukrainian resistance and refused to disclose accurate casualty figures. Visual evidence of destroyed Russian columns, abandoned equipment and mounting losses was dismissed or ignored. But the truth could not be contained. As the war dragged on, independent estimates of Russian casualties soared into the thousands. The rapid mobilisation of undertrained reservists and a rising tide of online obituaries exposed the scale of the human cost. Soldiers' families began to question the official version of events. Returning veterans described the chaos at the front, poor logistics, dysfunctional command, and ill-prepared troops. Despite tight media controls, the story that Russia told itself began to fracture. Israel, too, has fallen into the trap of narrative control. When Iran launched a massive drone and missile barrage in June in retaliation for the bombing of its purported nuclear sites, Israeli officials focused on success stories: most of the missiles were intercepted, the air defense systems performed admirably, and coordination with international partners was strong. But independent reporting suggested a less tidy picture. Sensitive military and civilian targets were hit and casualties were higher than initially admitted. The government's insistence on projecting confidence may have soothed domestic audiences, but it glossed over critical vulnerabilities. India's own approach during its most recent standoff with Pakistan followed the same script. After cross-border strikes and retaliatory exchanges in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian officials declared operational success. There was no public acknowledgment of damage to military infrastructure or personnel. The messaging focused on precision, deterrence, and strategic control. Yet Pakistani sources and open-source analysts told a more complex story, one in which both countries suffered losses and neither gained a clear upper hand. India's unwillingness to confront the costs of conflict raised questions about whether its armed forces could conduct the kind of honest, internal review required to improve performance in future engagements. This instinct to conceal or reframe battlefield setbacks is not new. During the Vietnam War, the United States military issued daily briefings that claimed progress, even as the situation on the ground deteriorated. It was not until the Tet Offensive in 1968, a sweeping assault by North Vietnamese forces, that the disconnect between rhetoric and reality became undeniable. The credibility gap destroyed public trust and forced a fundamental reassessment of the war effort. Israel's experience in the 1973 Yom Kippur War offers another cautionary tale. Caught by surprise, its forces suffered heavy casualties and early territorial losses. The government initially presented a narrative of eventual triumph, but domestic outrage led to the creation of the Agranat Commission. The commission's findings exposed deep flaws in Israeli intelligence and military assumptions. That painful reckoning was crucial in driving reforms that strengthened the Israeli Defense Forces for decades to come. India's 1962 war with China remains a sobering example of the costs of denial. After an embarrassing defeat in the Himalayas, the Indian establishment downplayed the extent of its failures. Reports detailing logistical breakdowns and flawed strategy were buried. As a result, institutional learning was delayed. Many of the same weaknesses reemerged in later conflicts with China. At the heart of this issue is a simple truth: military organisations cannot grow stronger unless they are willing to learn from failure. Effective warfighting depends on accurate self-assessment, identifying what went wrong, where systems failed and how to adapt. Hiding losses or rewriting history short-circuits that process. It leads to inflated perceptions of capability, false confidence, and strategic stagnation. Undermining democracy The political consequences are equally corrosive. In democratic societies, concealing military losses weakens civilian control and erodes trust. Citizens deserve an honest account of how conflicts are fought in their name. In authoritarian regimes, the lack of public scrutiny can entrench bad doctrine and suppress internal dissent, leaving armed forces vulnerable to repeat mistakes. Even from a purely strategic standpoint, pretending that nothing went wrong can backfire. Adversaries are not fooled. They analyse wreckage, monitor communications, and track deployments. When a state's public narrative is at odds with observable facts, it loses credibility – and credibility is often a form of deterrence. Worse still, if leaders believe their own propaganda, they may commit to further escalations without fully understanding the risks. There is a better path. While operational secrecy during wartime is necessary, states must embrace transparency once the guns fall silent. This means creating independent review mechanisms, listening to returning pilots and frontline soldiers, declassifying key findings and cultivating a culture of candour within the military. The countries that emerge stronger from war are those that treat failure not as a political liability but as a catalyst for learning. War tests not only the strength of weapons, but the resilience of institutions. The ability to confront mistakes, learn from them and adapt – these are the marks of a mature and capable state. For India facing a volatile neighborhood, for Israel confronting multiple fronts, and for Russia locked in a protracted conflict, the illusion of invincibility is not a strength. It is a trap. The path to real security lies in truth, not denial.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Rahul Gandhi Seeks Explanation After Trump Jets Remark, BJP Hits Back
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump's vague statement about five jets being downed during Operation Sindoor has led to a political face-off in India, with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi calling for an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP alleging that he has a "traitor's mentality". In remarks made at a private dinner on Friday, Trump said five jets were shot down during Operation Sindoor, which was India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack in April, but did not specify whether the planes were Indian or Pakistani. "In fact, planes were being shot out of the air. Five, five, four or five, but I think five jets were shot down actually," Trump said. Operation Sindoor began with India striking terrorist infrastructure in nine locations in Pakistan, including the headquarters of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke, and Islamabad began claiming soon after that it had shot down several Indian jets, including three Rafales, which are the most advanced fighters in the Indian Air Force. India has said there were losses, but has not given an exact number, maintaining what was more important was why they had happened. "What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down," India's Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan had said, categorically denying Pakistan's claim that six jets had been shot down. "The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and flew all our jets again, targeting at long range," General Chauhan had said. Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi posted the video of Trump's remarks and wrote in Hindi, "Modi ji, what is the truth behind the five jets? The country has a right to know." मोदी जी, 5 जहाज़ों का सच क्या है? देश को जानने का हक है! — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 19, 2025 Hitting back, BJP leader Amit Malviya pointed out that Trump had not said which country the planes belong to and asked the Congress MP whether he was a spokesperson on Pakistan. "Rahul Gandhi's mentality is that of a traitor. In his statement, Trump neither took the name of India nor said that those five planes belonged to India. Then why did the prince of Congress accept him as belonging to India? Why did he not accept him as belonging to Pakistan? Does he sympathise more with Pakistan than his own country?" Mr Malviya asked in a post on X in Hindi. "The truth is that Pakistan has not yet recovered from Operation Sindoor... but Rahul Gandhi is in pain! Whenever the country's army teaches a lesson to the enemy, Congress gets irritated. Anti-India sentiment is no longer a habit of Congress, it has become its identity. Rahul Gandhi should make it clear - is he an Indian or a spokesperson of Pakistan?" he said.
India Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
What's the truth Modi ji? Rahul Gandhi after Trump claims 5 jets shot down
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi after US President Donald Trump claimed that "five jets were shot down" during the India-Pakistan conflict in May. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, said the country had a right to know the truth."Modi ji, what is the truth about the five jets? The country has the right to know!" Gandhi wrote on X, while posting a video of Trump who is heard making the claim. advertisementSpeaking at the White House during a dinner he hosted for Republican senators on Friday, Trump said, "You had India, Pakistan, that was going in fact, planes were being shot out of the air... four or five. But I think five jets were shot down. Actually, that was getting worse and worse, wasn't it?" However, Trump did not specify whether the jets were lost by either of the two countries or if he was referring to combined losses. The US President also reiterated his remarks that there would be no trade deal with India and Pakistan if the conflict continued."That was looking like it was going to go. These are two serious nuclear countries, and they were hitting each other. But India and Pakistan were going at it, and they were back and forth, and it was getting bigger and bigger. And we got it solved through trade," he general secretary-in-charge (communications) Jairam Ramesh slammed PM Modi, saying that "the Trump missile gets fired" for the 24th time with the same two messages, two days before the Monsoon Session of Parliament begins."The Prime Minister, who has had years of friendship and huglomacy with President Trump going back to 'Howdy Modi' in September 2019 and 'Namaste Trump' in February 2020, has to now himself make a clear and categorical statement in Parliament on what President Trump has been claiming over the past 70 days," Ramesh Congress has been demanding that PM Modi answer Trump's India-Pakistan "ceasefire" claims in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session set to begin from July May 10, when Trump announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire after a long night of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim on several occasions that he helped settle the tensions between the two India has been consistently maintaining that the understanding on cessation of hostilities was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries on a request from has claimed it downed three Rafales during the four-day military conflict with India. However, it did not provide any evidence to substantiate its India's Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, admitted that an unspecified number of its fighter jets were downed during the hostilities with Pakistan, he dismissed Pakistan's claims of shooting down Rafales, saying they were "absolutely incorrect". He also said that the losses were not important, but what mattered was the outcome of the Eric Trappier, the CEO of Dassault Aviation, the French company that makes Rafale jets, called Pakistan's claims "inaccurate".In a nearly 35-minute phone call with Trump last month, PM Modi firmly said that India does not and will "never accept" mediation and that the discussions between Indian and Pakistani militaries on cessation of military actions were initiated at Islamabad's launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation against the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists.- Ends(with inputs from PTI)Tune InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Narendra Modi#Donald Trump#Rahul Gandhi#India-Pakistan#Operation Sindoor
The Print
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
5 jets shot down in Op Sindoor, we got India-Pakistan conflict solved through trade, claims Trump
'You saw it recently when you looked at what we did in Iran, where we knocked out their nuclear capability, totally knocked out that… But India and Pakistan were going at it, and they were back and forth, and it was getting bigger and bigger, and we got it solved through trade. We said, you guys want to make a trade deal. We're not making a trade deal if you're going to be throwing around weapons, and maybe nuclear weapons, both very powerful nuclear states,' he added. 'We stopped a lot of wars. And these were serious, India and Pakistan, that was going on. Planes were being shot out of there. I think five jets were shot down, actually. These are two serious nuclear countries, and they were hitting each other. You know, it seems like a new form of warfare,' Trump said in an address at the White House, according to media reports. New Delhi: US President Donald Trump Friday asserted that 'five jets were shot down' during the 87-hour India-Pakistan conflict this May, and once again mentioned mediating the halt in hostilities. The claims have been denied by India. Pakistan has claimed that it downed six jets during the conflict, including three Rafales, but the claim has been rejected by India at multiple levels. Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan in May admitted to fighter aircraft losses during Operation Sindoor, but denied that six aircraft were downed. The US president also reiterated 'Washington's role' in ending the conflict, despite numerous denials by India. New Delhi has maintained that the cessation in hostilities was achieved bilaterally. The understanding was achieved at a discussion between India and Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations is New Delhi's stated position. Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month told Trump during a phone call that trade was never discussed between India and US at the height of the conflict, while reiterating that the current peace was brokered by no third country. 'Prime Minister Modi made it clear to President Trump that during this entire episode (Operation Sindoor and aftermath), at no time, at any level, were issues such as India-US trade deal or mediation by the US between India and Pakistan discussed,' Vikram Misri, foreign secretary, said in a statement. Modi had spoken to US Vice President J.D. Vance on the night of 9 May. During the conversation between India and the US Vice President, there were no discussions of the upcoming trade deal being negotiated between the two sides, maintained Misri. (Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui) Also Read: Asim Munir just stole his 5th star & has nothing to show for it. It'll make him desperate, dangerous
India Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Go easy on history, keep it out of school curriculum
Year 2145 AD.A prime-time news debate is going on. The topic today is state-sanctioned correction of history e-books. On the panel is a ruling party spokesperson, a historian with a PhD from the Rajiv Gandhi University and three ChatGPT bots. The correction they are debating is about the first battle of Sindoor in 2025. The news studio is in the posh area of 'Greater than the previous Noida'.advertisementThe historian thunders: 'This is a complete fabrication. Let me point out the exact lies in the NCERT textbooks. I am quoting a primary source, a foreign publication, so that there is no bias. A French news portal - France 24 – writes that the Pakistanis had won the war on May 8 itself, showing complete air dominance. You don't believe it? Wait, let me quote another. A noted Chinese publication says India lost seven Rafales and the Pakistanis bombed 34 airbases, leading to a ceasefire.' The AI newsreader interjects: 'But we had satellite pictures to show the bombed airbases. Even The New York Times had published''Just some grainy pictures? We have recorded video footage of Pakistanis celebrating their victory. You can see fireworks. The army chief got promoted to the rank of a field marshal. There is so much corroborative evidence. Are you even listening to what you are saying?'As this is patently evident, any historical event or period will have different recorded versions of it, based on the agenda of the writer. Even in an era of satellite surveillance, Operation Sindoor had multiple versions of its chronology. Imagine 400 years ago, when there was no evidence recording mechanism, how easily one could distort such cases, we are destined to believe whatever written records survived from that era. In most cases they are hagiographies like Ain-i-Akbari or Baburnama, which were written by writers working on a retainer being paid by the kings. Even a highly communal Jizya tax is portrayed as protection money paid by the citizens to ensure security. A century later, we will whitewash hafta vasooli or Rangdari tax as kingdom or reign had varying degrees of atrocities and reforms. Every king had shades of grey. A history book should be aware of the same, and provide a balanced take for young students. It's easy to create binaries of heroes and villains which suit story books. History is far too serious a subject matter to be taught to young minds.A sixth standard student, a 12-year-old, tries to paint characters in black and white, purely out of convenience, and lack of reasoning abilities. And such tropes are then carried over by the film and television industry to create hagiographies of such rulers. We are all aware of dramas like The Sword of Tipu Sultan and Akbar, The Great. When an entire generation feeds on such stuff, grows up, and learns the darker things about such rulers, they revolt and naturally cry propaganda. They are unable to digest students study history to memorise facts and figures and regurgitate them on answer sheets during their exams to score marks. When was the first Battle of Panipat fought? becomes a quiz question, stripping it of all the complexities of a war - the ensuing politics and its impact on subsequent generations. Why was Babur invited to fight Ibrahim Lodi? And why did Babur eventually defeat the guys who invited him? No clue. History is essentially a domino effect, but we are so focused on individual slabs or dominoes that we never really zoom out to see the entire when we grow up, in our 30s and 40s, do we buy expensive hard-bound books at airports to read history from the lens of a mature grown-up man. Then, we will appreciate it. But by that time, we have already hard coded our biases, and hence we look for stuff that confirms our biases. It's too late. That's why, focus on geography, teach civics, but maybe, go easy on history, as it's far too complex to be taught to young people. Let them grow up and buy history books at airports.(Abhishek Asthana is the founder of a creative agency – GingerMonkey. He tweets as @GabbbarSingh)- Ends(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Tune InMust Watch
