The events in the intervening time between April 22, 2025, to May 10, 2025, have summarily reshaped the world order in an unprecedented manner. It would be an understatement to describe this transition as a watershed moment in world history. There are many reasons to assert this claim:
1. The “Nuclear Deterrence” doctrine has been invalidated forever. The implications are not limited to Pakistan and India’s neighbourhood. This development is not trivial by any stretch of the imagination. It doesn’t augur well for the tenuous peace since 1945, however uneasy, in the world as of today. The Security Architecture meticulously constructed by the West led thinkers for the last 200 years in general and the last 80 years in particular, has to be revisited, revised and redone to manage the ramifications of the “Operation Sindoor”. Disruptions are part of natural evolution, but the one we have witnessed has been a shock for both friends and foes of Bharat alike. “Possession of Nuclear assets will not assure national security” seems to be the general message.
2. This is the first time a nation of any standing was able to demonstrate 100 per cent defence against enemy projectiles in modern warfare. Even the top military powers have not yet demonstrated this defensive capability. From an offensive capability standpoint, this is also the first time any nation was able to target enemy installations, Air Defence Systems and assert complete air dominance at a ridiculously short duration. Pakistan was left high and dry, with no options to avail, and was seething with raging impotence. The military establishment there will have a difficult time convincing their masses, particularly in Baluchistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to coalesce and stick to the Pakistani identity. Implications on Pakistan’s relationship with Afghanistan will not be too comforting for them either. The Pakistani Punjabi-centricity will be challenged and tested to what it is worth. The ISI will find it difficult to convince its anti-India proxy investments in and out of Pakistan. No amount of their capability for collective hallucinations to derive convenient victorious narratives out of comprehensive defeats will help them survive the centripetal onslaught of reality induced from outside their country by both their allies and enemies alike. A country created out of artificial need to bolster colonial interests to cut off India from key trade routes and stand as a bulwark against the spread of Soviet communism has outlived its purpose for all its past and current stakeholders.
3. On the one hand, Bharat has explicitly blown to smithereens the “Contain India” strategy of China, Turkey and Pakistan. On the other hand, Bharat has implicitly challenged the same doctrine imposed by the West since independence and post-independence. Bharat has authoritatively de-hyphenated itself from Pakistan.
4. While the adversary was mobilising troops to their borders with Bharat, the leadership in Bharat exuded supreme confidence by not initiating any overt mobilisation whatsoever. This was the first time in a conflict with Pakistan that Bharat was determined to rewrite the playbook. This is for the defence experts and strategic thinkers to dissect it further; nonetheless, a point that cannot be overlooked.
5. Wars are meant to inflict pain, instil deep fear and create panic. Pakistan couldn’t impose any of these on Indians; however, on the contrary, they managed to evoke anger and incite retribution. The sight of Indians merrily celebrating enemy missile interceptions over the skies above them in Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, and Jammu will forever be etched in our collective memories, generating immense strength and confidence while at the same time demoralising Pakistanis forever. Such a response from Indians has demonstrated the collective faith they have in the political leadership, the government, the armed forces, our scientists from ISRO and DRDO, and the engineering capabilities of our industries.
6. Sub-critical, low intensity and low cost warfare tactics that Pakistan mastered through their engagement with the US during the Afghanistan war against the Soviets, has now been rendered useless. Punitive costs in retaliation from Bharat far outweigh the benefits that Pakistan and its backers were able to extract earlier. Bharat’s decree that “Any terror attack will from now on be considered as an act of war.” represents the essence of this strategic transformation.
7. The manner in which 80 per cent self-sufficiency in defence manufacturing has been achieved stands testimony to the success of the Atmanirbhar initiative. For the first time since independence, our people have successfully erased the scars of colonial injuries from our civilisational psyche. We can safely assume that self-confidence(AtmaVishwaas) will be in no short supply from now on.
8. The organic manner in which the government managed to diminish the impact of propaganda through established media instruments and characters inimical to Bharat’s interests has exemplified the preparedness and the nimbleness of the government in effectively countering such malicious attempts. One has to congratulate the Indian Media for showing courage and determination in playing their role. They have also been the frontline warriors in this conflict and have made significant contributions to the overall outcome.
While the operations are still ongoing, offers for third-party mediation from peace brokers will have to be kept abeyanced. Bharat is a civilisational state, and it has deep imprints of diplomacy, statecraft and level-headed policy toward applying “Organised Violence”(to borrow Samuel Huntington’s phrase) against an enemy in pursuit of peace. We also have to have take cognisance of the escalation on our eastern borders. The QUAD was dysfunctional and remained inactive throughout the conflagration. Our reliable and trusted partners, sharing our ethos and civilisations bonds, have stood with us. We remain committed to honouring humanity and discharging our duties as a civilisation to help other nations lead a peaceful life of prosperity.
In the case of Pakistan, they are neither a trustworthy ally nor a worthy adversary because they suffer from a perpetual identity crisis. This crisis has rendered them losing their self-respect and honour in the region and around the globe. They are detested and disregarded everywhere. They have lost the opportunities for self-reflection, and it is in their destiny to face nature’s justice.
