The bestowing of Gallantry Awards for soldiers, mainly to several military personnel who took part in Operation Sindoor, is appreciable.That six such heroes were awarded Vir Chakra would also raise the morale of the military. As for Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force fighter jets in a jiffy tore down some of the top terrorist networks guarded closely by the Pakistani establishment for several years, and also decimated several airbases there with relative ease in the four-day engagement in May. These showed the military’s technical strengths and operational prowess. That the military was also able to strongly defend the Indian territory and key establishments from Pakistani aggression in those four days is equally impressive. While Pakistan bled majorly, India did not get hit except for the loss of an unspecified number of military aircraft. Pakistan’s bombast that it shot down several of India’s expensive fighter jets still lacked conclusive proof.
However, the level of success of Operation Sindoor is still being debated — some five months after the war raised the temperature between India and Pakistan to a high level. Lack of clarity on the part of the military and political establishments here about the alleged “losses” on this side of the border continues. Some statements in this respect – from military chiefs and defence minister Rajnath Singh – were contradictory in nature. This added to the confusion, which still persists. Overall, Singh was right – that Operation Sindoor symbolized the Indian military’s willpower and capability. Be that as it may, fact is also that several of those from within the establishment are not fully satisfied with the results of Operation Sindoor. Despite the visible successes, they hesitate to say this was another feather in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cap. Significantly, an analytical essay in a pro-RSS mouthpiece this week went to the extent of citing flaws in the general narrative about Operation Sindoor. It cites “structural gaps” that need to be addressed and corrected in the military’s future engagements. It stresses that the obsession to purchase more Rafales in themselves would not do; and that the IAF must now lay more emphasis on aspects like networking, integration and development of indigenous defence communication technology (SDR) to ensure better coordination within its ranks.
It’s easy for the military to rest on their laurels but it’s better to acknowledge the flaws and take corrective steps. What caused India to lose its aircraft this time or in the aftermath of the Balakot hits requires a clear analysis within the forces. To India’s embarrassment, President Trump now repeated the narrative about a loss of “several” aircraft in Operation Sindoor without however saying who lost what. While silence is golden, the political leadership here cannot afford to take the people for granted. That the RSS, which guides the government from behind, is mindful of the ‘hide and seek’ style of the governing establishment vis-à-vis Operation Sindoor is all too evident now. The difference in perceptions between the Modi government and the RSS on several fronts is no secret either. The likely gap might as well be widening.
