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News18
12-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
India Won The War, But Lost Narrative Battle To Pakistani & Western Lies
It is time for India to up the PR ante, spend money on building presence in international media, and counter the global negative narrative more robustly India has decisively won the latest military conflict against Pakistan. If anybody had a doubt, the Indian Air Force (IAF) presser on Sunday conclusively demonstrated it with clear images and videos of the precision strikes in Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and deep inside Pakistan. From Muridke to Bahawalpur and from Sargodha to Jacobabad, every missile strike has been captured, as if in 4K. It is now clear that the bombing of Sargodha and a couple of other airfields could be the immediate reason for Pakistan's panicked outreach to the US, which, in turn, advised it to directly request India for a ceasefire, which Pakistan did. Apparently, the Indian missiles landed alarmingly close to its nuclear facilities and could even have triggered radiation. But despite this unprecedented aggressive response to a terror attack (the Pahalgam massacre, in this case), cheer was missing from the Indian side. It was as if we had lost. Pakistan, forever blissfully in denial, actually started claiming victory. The Western media obliged, with almost congratulatory pieces and shows about Pakistan snatching a ceasefire. advetisement There were three main narrative setbacks for India. First, some seriously irresponsible and childish mainstream media reporting. It is fine to run psy-ops on social media and rattle the enemy. But when the mainstream media outlets mirror that misinformation, it leads to loss of credibility and opens up the nation's information environment to damaging fact-checks and mocking, even when there is enough meat in its military response. Sensational stories like Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad falling did just that. It is a good occasion for the Indian media to introspect. At a time when plain-vanilla reporting is sensational enough, going overboard with spice is a recipe for self-goals which harms the nation's splendid military effort. Second, the international media coverage was grossly tilted against India. The West was especially negative. Neocon online publication The National Interest carried pieces titled 'How Chinese Missiles Routed India's Air Force Over Pakistan' and 'Why Has India's Military Performed So Poorly Against Pakistan?', both by Brandon J Weichert, a contributor to the Hong Kong-based Asia Times and author of Biohacked: China's Race To Control Life and other books. 'The Pakistanis have proven their mettle. Armed with top Chinese equipment, and with military assistance provided by the Turks, Islamabad has shown itself to be more than capable of rebuffing at least the initial wave of Indian air attacks. The Pakistanis shot down a total of five Indian Air Force (IAF) warplanes at the start of Operation Sindoor, after all," Weichert writes. A Reuters headline screamed: 'Exclusive: Pakistan's Chinese-made jet brought down two Indian fighter aircraft, US officials say'. 'At least two Indian jets appeared to have crashed during Pakistan strikes, visuals show', read a Washington Post headline. Interestingly, neither Pakistan nor the unnamed US officials whom the Western media quoted could produce any proof of a single Indian plane being shot down. Al Jazeera, the undeclared mouthpiece of Islamists worldwide, went as far as to carry the laughable Pakistani canard that Indian woman pilot Shivangi Singh has been captured. Pakistani director general of inter-Services Public Relations Ahmed Shareef Chaudhry, who is the son of UN-designated terrorist and Osama bin Laden's close aide Bashiruddin Mahmood, later denied that Pakistan has custody of any pilot and dismissed it as 'fake news from social media". It is another matter that his boss, Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif, told Sky News that the proof of Pakistan downing Indian planes was 'all over social media". But why did the international media lap up Pakistan's brazen lies and contradictions? Why was the Indian side so bleakly presented? Is it because China wielded its influence—built through years of lobbying, buying out journalists, and funding western media and academia? Or does Pakistan and its intelligence ISI do better PR in the West than India? Or because the West and China's planes and missile defence systems were effectively busted by India's own homegrown weapons and Russian aircraft and missile interception systems like S-400, making it a terrible advertisement to potential buyers? advetisement We may not know the precise answers, but it is time for India to up the PR ante, spend money on building presence in international media, and counter the global negative narrative more robustly. Third, US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance have re-hyphenated India and Pakistan. Trump infantilised India, which is the victim of Pakistan-sponsored terror, by his statement: 'Proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision." Claiming credit, he said on Saturday that the US mediated talks after which the two neighbours 'agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE". He then added insult by bringing up Kashmir and offering to mediate, which India had politely but firmly turned down in the past. 'I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great Nations. Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a 'thousand years," a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir," read his statement. advetisement Could it be some ulterior reason, some kind of a negotiating chip to cut India down to size before the imminent trade deal? top videos View All Whatever the reason, India will need to disabuse the pathological narcissist in Trump and set the narrative right. It was never enough to win the war on the battlefield. The greatest nations and leaders have also won the war in the mind and popular imagination. Only then does one effectively break the enemy's morale and lift it for one's own people. The ceasefire has given us that moment of introspection. tags : donald trump Operation Sindoor Pahalgam attack pakistan United states Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 12, 2025, 08:50 IST News opinion Opinion | India Won The War, But Lost Narrative Battle To Pakistani & Western Lies
Business Journals
22-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
How Weichert, Realtors Welch & Co. became a top KC real estate firm
By submitting your information you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and User Agreement . This Overland Park-based residential real estate firm topped $750 million in local sales last year, rising to be the metro area's No. 7 firm. The Kansas City area has a new contender among the top residential real estate firms. Overland Park-based Weichert, Realtors Welch & Co. rose to No. 7 on this year's List of top firms, its highest position ever. That's one of several areas where its year-over-year growth is visible. In 2024, it recorded about $755 million in local sales, a more than $200 million increase from the previous year. It had 1,361 transactions last year, a jump from 921 in 2023. And it had 217 agents, up from 162 in 2023. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events It's a far cry from the firm's two-person beginning, President Kent Welch said. "I started our company in 2004 in a three-car garage in Wyandotte County, believe it or not," he said. At first, the firm was an independent brokerage focused on selling new homes. It joined Weichert, Realtors in 2009 and slowly became a full-service firm selling existing homes, new-builds and commercial properties, plus handling property management. In 2023, it began pursuing more intentional growth by increasing its agent count, primarily through referrals from current agents at the firm. Welch said he has a "common-sense approach" toward running his business. The firm doesn't charge agents a monthly fee unless they use a private office, and it doesn't charge them for basic services like color copies. He described the commission split between agents and the brokerage as competitive, and the firm offers a retirement program. Weichert cuts agents a check right after they sell a home, when other firms often pay agents only once or twice a week. "An average agent may have six closings a year, so they get six paychecks a year," he said. "You think they're a little antsy if they close the house today and they don't get paid till next week?" The firm does not hire agents based on a certain method of productivity, such as gross commission or transaction volume. It's more about whether that person fits the culture, he said. That's why referrals have been so valuable. "We weren't just taking any agent," he said. "We were taking agents that were producing or that we felt had real potential to do to grow their business or produce more than they currently were." Weichert recently opened a new main office at 7035 College Blvd. in Overland Park. It has four offices throughout the metro area, with a fifth close to opening. Here are the 37 largest residential real estate firms in Kansas City Local residential sales, 2024 Rank Prior Rank Name / Prior rank (*previously unranked) 1 1 ReeceNichols Real Estate 2 2 United Real Estate Group 3 3 Keller Williams Realty Partners Inc. View this list
