After all — with suspense hanging over the India-Pakistan clash in the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in Colombo this Sunday — sense seems to have prevailed over the Pakistan Cricket Board and also the country’s government to withdraw from their earlier stated position to not to take the field against its arch rivals. Siding with Bangladesh — because it did not want to travel to India citing security reasons and thereafter replaced by Scotland in the tournament — Pakistan took a position it would not have taken two years ago, but the ICC made sure that the Indian team turning up at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo would play the scheduled match. It’s a matter of conjecture as to how Singaporean Imran Khwaja, deputy chairman of the ICC, managed to cause a turnaround in Pakistan’s decision at the meeting at Lahore. Khwaja was deputed by independent Chair Jay Shah to get Pakistan play the match at the neutral venue. Bangladesh – advised by Dhaka not to travel to India – has turned out to be the biggest loser on the World Cup participation issue. Its players have missed a World Cup tournament and thereby their share of the prize money for winning a match. The ICC dealt with the situation smartly as advised by its legal cell and Shah deserves credit for taking the initiative to depute Khwaja who not long ago got along well with former ICC Chair in Shashank Manohar and was probably a contender to helm the ICC. The outcome at the Lahore meeting has paved the way for a 17th clash between India and Pakistan in the Twenty20 format. India has won 13 and Pakistan, three times. It could be a full house at the Premadasa on Sunday.

Initiating the Lok Sabha debate marking Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s ‘Vande Mataram’ 150 years PM Modi accused former PM Jawaharlal Nehru of echoing Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s opposition to the national song and “pandering to communal concerns” of the Muslim League. Modi said it was Nehru who had written to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose that Vande Mataram might “provoke and irritate Muslims” and suggested examining its usage. “This, despite Vande Mataram being born in Bankim Chandra’s Bengal,” he said. After the 1857 uprising, the British pushed ‘God Save the Queen’ into every household. Bankim Chandra responded with Vande Mataram, and despite the partition of Bengal in 1905 When Vande Mataram celebrated 100 years, the country was entangled in the Emergency… Now, at 150 years, it is our duty to restore its glory said PM.  Speaking on the debate from the Congress side, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra countered the very need for Vande Mataram debate and declared it was diversion from bread/butter issues. “Modi is not the PM he used to be, his self-confidence is decreasing; his policies are weakening the country,” she said. She said PM Modi’s speech was weak on facts. She said the government was having a discussion on Vande Mataram in view of the upcoming West Bengal polls. Her brother Rahul Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi had skipped the Parliament — they were perhaps preparing for their own upcoming speeches. First published in the literary journal Bangadarshan on 7 November 1875, Vande Mataram was initially composed independently and later included in the author’s novel “Anandamath” (published in 1882). It was first sung by Tagore at the 1896 Congress Session in Calcutta.

India’s stunning win against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final and refusal of Congress leaders particularly Rahul Gandhi to acknowledge it has become an intense subject of political scrutiny. The BJP was quick to point out that it was perhaps similar to how the main Opposition party couldn’t congratulate the Indian Army for its stupendous strike during Operation Sindoor. Party’s I-T chief Amit Malviya in a post even suggested that the Congress was perhaps “waiting for permission from Pak minister Mohsin Naqvi and their other handlers in the neighbouring country” before joining the nation in celebrating the Indian cricket team’s success. Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi said “both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra should keep sports separate from politics”, as they did not give any reaction to India’s victory over Pakistan. He said that the Congress and the opposition alliance are always ready to side with Pakistan at every level be it sports or diplomacy and this is their true identity. He pointed out it was India’s 9th victory in the Asia Cup. In this tournament, India defeated Pakistan three times consecutively. The Indian team made a clean sweep by winning all the matches in this Asia Cup. For this, the Indian cricket team, its captain Surya Kumar Yadav, and all the fellow players certainly deserve congratulations. PM Modi tweeted “Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same — India wins!. Congrats to our cricketers.”

After brushing off the modicum challenge from United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the DP World Asia Cup 2025, the men in blue Twenty20 is girding up its loins to compete against Pakistan — always a marquee match that keeps the turnstiles busy. India is used to playing Pakistan at the Middle-East venue and the local fans — Indians and Pakistanis settled there for their bread and butter — have thronged the Dubai International Stadium to root for their team and rejoice or regret at the outcome. Dubai is assured of at least two high-octane matches between the Asian arch rivals — one in the group stage and one in the Super4 round robin — and the price of tickets for these matches are invariably on the steeper side, especially the high-end hospitality boxes. A few months ago, the fans supporting the men in blue had a gala time with Rohit Sharma’s team winning all matches, including against Pakistan, to win the ICC Champions Trophy. The privately-owned stadium has a capacity to hold around 35,000 spectators and squeeze in a couple of thousands more, and the tournament organisers would hope for a full house on Sunday (Sep 14) and create a high decibel sound befitting the occasion. The Twenty20 game would move with lighting speed and India skipper Suryakumar Yadav himself would go through the emotions of sporting the Captaincy cap for the first time against Pakistan whose captain is Salman Ali Agha. With stalwarts Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan dropped for the tournament, Pakistan would look to be depleted, but as Agha said at the Captains’ presser, in Twenty20 anyone can win a game! But nerves can still play havoc on both teams.

With the government spelling out its stand that Team India will continue to participate in multilateral events like the World Cup and Asia Cup which will also feature Pakistan, the Asia Cup gets a clearance that may not be popular with sections of the public because of the tensions with Pakistan post-Pahalgam terror attack. However, this is a stand Team India followed even in the Champions Trophy but in which it stressed that it will not play in Pakistan and nor would the BCCI expect Pakistan to play in India though they did that in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The picking of the squad for the Asia Cup was a clear pointer to the BCCI being confident of getting clearance to take part in the Asia Cup which it will host in the UAE. Not that the squad the selectors picked was universally popular. The omission of Shreyas Iyer was the biggest talking point but equally mysterious was the omission of Yashasvi Jaiswal who was a member of the T20 World Cup winning team in 2024. Some former players used their time to think about picking a squad out of those not selected for the Asia Cup and they came up with a playing XI that could be expected to give Team India a run for its money. Here is the alternate team for the Asia Cup: Shreyas Iyer (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudarshan, KL Rahul, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Ramandeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. That is a pretty good playing XI quite capable of upsetting the real Team India. Of course, what the XI of those left out conveys best is the depth of Indian cricket when it comes to white ball competitions

The India-Pakistan clash at the Asia Cup T20 tournament scheduled in Dubai, come September 14, was inadvertently called off on August 11 itself when the Indian Parliament cleared two new laws to henceforth govern domestic, international sporting encounters. The National Sports Governance Bill and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bills became the national authoritative laws governing sports emanating out of India, established a clear legal framework for sports bodies, introduced stricter accountability and dedicated mechanisms for dispute resolution. The Anti-Doping Amendment Bill aligns India’s anti-doping agency with global standards. The National Sports Board has authority to recognize/derecognize National Sports Federations, can suspend bodies while enjoying the powers of a civic court of law with its decision being final only allowing for appeal before the Supreme Court of India. While the ostensible reason for the NSB is to clear the currently pending backlog of 350 court cases, sources indicate that the cancellation of the India-Pakistan Asia Cup tie is already a foregone conclusion. Already public opinion has consolidated against India playing the fixture against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack following which India has not only cut off the rogue nation’s water supply under the Indus Waters treaty of 1960 but also cut off all further ties with Pakistan. Even the BCCI, mostly independent of government funding, has been brought under provisions of the RTI. The bill was amended so that RTI would only apply only if the private cricket trust accepts government funding to allay fears of unwanted government controls. However, the BCCI has consistently accepted waivers of tax levies and fees payable for conducting the multibillion-dollar IPL, other cricket tournaments for years now.

It is not only Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray’s criticism of India playing Pakistan in September that will be ringing in Indian ears. Whatever the BCCI’s justification for fielding Team India in the Asia Cup T20 tournament in the UAE next month, it is certain to prove unpopular. This will certainly be displayed most on social media where people have already noted that it is BCCI’s greed that is driving this move to resume sporting ties with Pakistan. Coming as they do so soon after hostilities on the border have barely ceased and the success of Operation Sindoor is being spoken of in Parliament and outside, India-Pakistan matches may not have the same resonance as before. And to prove how greedy they are about putting up this spectacle, the organisers of the Asia Cup have shown some ingenuity in trying to bring about at least two meetings between India and Pakistan in the league and Super Four stage but also a possible third match if both teams qualify for the final. UAE may be the safest place in the world at present to host these matches, but the hit on the national sentiments of Indians and cricket lovers may be deep. “Blood and water cannot flow together,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi thundered when abrogating the old Indus Waters Treaty. Apparently, blood and cricket can now flow together. There may be some logic to BCCI trying to ensure no threat to a place for Team India in the Los Angeles Olympics of 2028, but to think playing in the Asia Cup will help is a stretch. It will be ironic if Pakistan pulls out of the matches against India.

It is for good reason that the government asserted that Operation Sindoor has only been paused and isn’t over yet. Now that the Parliament has deliberated on the military operations, it is being said that the PMO and Ministry of Defence are assessing the possibilities of Pakistan resorting to misadventure again. Reason: Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir is in Beijing. He has met the Chinese vice-president and foreign minister. Reports have also come about that the Pakistani army has reactivated terror camps that were destroyed by India during Operation Sindoor in both Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. India’s Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan has warned Pakistan to desist from activating terror bases of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen. Terror launch pads and training centres have been set up in Looni, Phutwal, Jamila Post, Umranwali, Chaprar, Chhota Chak and Janglora jungles. Pak Army has installed thermal imaging systems, foliage penetrating radars and satellite surveillance equipment in at least 13 ISI terror launch pads that were closed after Operation Sindoor. These launch pads have been activated in Kel, Dudhniyal, Jura, Leepa Valley, Pachhiban Chaman, Naiyali, Jaknote, Chakati and Nickale. Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar addressed his cadre in Bahawalpur and appealed for funds, while Lashkar commanders are collecting funds by organising rallies. Presently, an impression is being created in Pakistan as if the U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to browbeat India. China has become the protector and guardian of Pakistan. The impoverished nation is also getting loans from multilateral organisations. In such circumstances, one should not be surprised if Gen Asim Munir starts losing his mental balance.  One thing is certain. If Pakistan carries out a misadventure again, it will have to pay a heavy price.  

PM Narendra Modi ticked off Congress MP(Sholapur) Praniti Shinde who had dubbed Op Sindoor as “media tamasha” in her Lok Sabha speech. Without taking her name, Modi charged the Congress of mounting a savage attack on Pahalgam victims by setting up an ordinary member to attack the operations of armed forces. Such description of Op Sindoor was dubbed as severe and heinous akin to an acid (tezaab) attack on the Pahalgam survivors, “spreading acid” in the country.  Exposing Congress’s betrayal, Modi said, “Got the world’s support. But sadly, no support from the Congress”. Politically it is interesting that Praniti’s insensitive comment came up for mention in Modi’s intervention. Daughter of former Union Home Minister and Maharashtra CM Sushil Kumar Shinde, Praniti  was once wooed by Maharashtra BJP to join the party. However, considered close to Rahul Gandhi — she has been part of his Bharat Jodo Yatra — has firmly entrenched herself in the Congress’s charmed inner circle. On his part Modi tried answering all issues raised by the Opposition in the Lok Sabha regarding Operation Sindoor. He observed that while the country was moving ahead at a fast pace towards self-reliance, the Congress was becoming dependent on Pakistan for issues. “Unfortunately, Congress is importing issues from Pakistan.” He slammed the Opposition for doubting the timing of Operation Mahadev that involved gunning down terrorists involved in Pahalgam attack. With reference to a third country’s involvement, Modi made it clear “No country in the world has stopped India from any action in its defence against terror”. On May 9 night, “U.S. Vice President (JD Vance) tried to reach out to me 3-4 times, but I was busy with meetings with the armed forces”.

Home Minister Amit Shah hit out at Congress leader P Chidambaram for his statement that the terrorists behind the Pahalgam attack were “homegrown”, and his demand for proof that they were from Pakistan. Shah criticised the opposition leader for trying to ‘save Pakistan’ and declared, “When he says this, it means they (the Congress) are giving a clean chit (to Pak).” In a typically combative speech, Shah also said, “I thought the opposition would be happy to know the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack are dead… but it seems they are upset…” During the debate on Operation Sindoor, he elaborated on the operations in Kashmir, including the discovery of Pak-made chocolates and Pak government ID cards in the pockets of the terrorists gunned down. He also said ballistic tests on assault rifles — an American-made M9 and Russian AK-47s — recovered confirmed their use in Pahalgam. “Six forensic experts confirmed this to me on a video call… that these are the same bullets used in the Pahalgam attack,” he said. Trying to draw DMK MP Kanimozhi into a conversation, he sought to know from her why the Opposition was always giving a “clean chit” to Pakistan.  The DMK leader in a light-hearted way denied that she endorsed Chidambaram’s line. However, when her turn came to speak, Kani, who travelled on a government delegation to speak about Op Sindoor, spoke very negatively. It is quite possible that she wanted to show that she is not close to the BJP. In view of CM Stalin’s failing health, it is being said Kani fancies herself a chance to be the next CM. It is being said senior DMK leaders may not find deputy CM Udhyanidhi Stalin as acceptable to succeed his father.

Diljit Dosanjh, a popular figure in the Punjabi music and film industry, finds himself at the centre of a brewing controversy that could significantly impact his career. His film Sardaarji 3, which features Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, has sparked a fierce debate within the Indian film fraternity. It reflects deeper tensions between Indian and Pakistani artists, particularly in light of the ongoing geopolitical issues between the two nations. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), a prominent body representing various stakeholders in the Indian film industry, has voiced its discontent regarding the film’s release. Their concerns stem from a broader sentiment within the industry that seeks to distance itself from Pakistani artists due to past incidents, including provocative social media statements made by some Pakistani celebrities. The FWICE’s opposition is significant, as it holds considerable influence and credibility within the industry, and their stance could lead to serious repercussions for Dosanjh. When confronted with the backlash, Diljit’s dismissive comments about Bollywood raised eyebrows. His apparent indifference to the Indian film industry, which has nurtured his career, could alienate him from a substantial segment of his fanbase. Such behaviour may be viewed as irresponsible, especially for someone in his position, and it poses a risk of escalating tensions further. As the situation unfolds, the potential for a ban on Diljit’s work in India looms large, threatening to overshadow his popularity and success. While he may continue to thrive in international markets, the lack of support from the Indian film community could hinder his growth and acceptance within his home country. While Jasbeer Jassi stood by him, Mika condemned his stand.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor did not expect a second foreign tour so quickly after delivering exceptionally well as team lead of the (Indian) Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs’ outreach to the world post ‘Operation Sindoor’. The Indian diplomat turned MP was invited to PM Modi’s residence late night, and following an hour-and-a-half long meeting, dispatched out-and-out to Russia without even returning home to pack his bags. Tharoor met Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov the following day and was not surprised when the Russian leader commenced his parlance in French. India’s former UN delegate comfortably, consciously negotiated the rest of the conversation in French with aplomb. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on out-of-the-box thinking now extends without the BJP party lines, making him the first Indian premier to command international statesmanship across party lines for national progress. Another first in Indian international history was Union defence minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to China to attend the SCO summit where he not only refused to sign on the dotted line of the resolution for excluding references to Pak terrorism but also sidelined the courtesy call meeting with the Pakistani foreign minister who was also in attendance. Singh’s visit to China simultaneously witnessed India’s NSA Ajit Doval holding talks with his Chinese counterparts emphasizing Pakistani double speak vis-a-vis China and USA respectively. Next up, MEA S Jaishankar’s visit to China that may well accomplish another major diplomatic win for India. So, what else is new? 

Hours after the U.S. bombed Iran’s three key nuclear facilities on June 21, PM Narendra Modi spoke with President of Iran Dr Masoud Pezeshkian. “We discussed in detail about the current situation. Expressed deep concern at the recent escalations. Reiterated our call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability,” Modi said in a post on X. The conversation assumes significance as many Indian students are still in that country, hoping to return back home. Teheran had evacuated Indian students with the help of our mission to leave Iran via Armenia and Doha. Some batches of students managed to reach Delhi. Our mission in Tehran has been helping students from Nepal and Sri Lanka also to leave Iran. Pakistan too rushed to condemn the attack and said that Iran had all the legitimate right to defend itself under the UN charter. The official comments by Pakistan come days after its Field Marshal Asim Munir visited White House for a lunch hosted by President Trump. Pak reaction seemed odd considering the initial reports suggested that the U.S. plan was to use Pak base to attack Iran. But now media reports indicate that the U.S. Stealth bombers were flown from Missouri for over 37 hours and had refuelled mid-air to carry out the operation. Clearly it seems President Trump did not trust Gen Munir and had a surprise element in the strikes. In Iran, Hossein Shariatmadari, the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative, has called for immediate retaliation. He talked about launching a missile strike on the U.S. naval fleet in Bahrain and simultaneously closing the Strait of Hormuz. Any adverse action in Hormuz could hurt India.

PM Narendra Modi’s 35-minute phone call with the U.S. President Donald Trump since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack was clearly aimed at sorting out misgivings back home. He told firmly that no mediation or trade deal led to cessation of hostilities with Pakistan. The highlight of the phone call was when Prez Trump asked PM Modi if he could visit the U.S. on his return from Canada. PM Modi politely declined the offer citing his prior engagement of visiting Croatia. But, interestingly, Prez Trump has accepted PM Modi’s to visit India for the QUAD meeting later this year. As per Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri read out of the phone chat, “PM Modi told President Trump clearly that during this entire series of incidents, never was talks held at any level on India-America trade deal and mediation between India and Pakistan by America. The talks regarding cessation of military action was held directly between India and Pakistan under the existing channels established between both militaries, it was done at Pakistan’s request…” He shared that the phone-call overtly clarified that India, “has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it. There is complete political unanimity in India on this issue.” Meanwhile Congress leader Jairam Ramesh was dismissive about Misri’s statement. He said “Understand the ‘triple jhatka’ that the Indian foreign policy and diplomacy has received. Today Field Marshal Asim Munir whose provocative, incendiary, inflammatory comments are directly linked to the Pahalgam terror attacks…is invited for a one-on-one special lunch with President Trump.…” BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya hit back calling Jairam “a congenital liar — much like Rahul Gandhi. He is now peddling yet another falsehood, claiming that Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s statement doesn’t match the U.S. readout — while dramatically waving his phone around. ” But here is the catch: the readout he is citing...

As soon as India’s military confirmed for the first time that it lost an unspecified number of fighter jets in clashes with Pakistan in May, while saying the four-day conflict never came close to the point of nuclear war, there was some jubilation and relief in the Congress. The party without going into the nuances of what Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of Indian Armed Forces Anil Chauhan had made in his conversation with Bloomberg TV saw it as a vindication of what Rahul Gandhi has been asking from Day One about Operation Sindoor– which is about loss of jets. To amplify the admission made by the CDS in Singapore, it rushed Telangana Minister Uttam Reddy, a former IAF officer, to brag before the media how Rahul had been right all along. In the TV interview, CDS Anil Chauhan made it clear that it was not that important jets being down,”but why they were being down.” The CDS was attending the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. At the same time, Chauhan called Pakistan’s claims that it shot down six Indian warplanes as “absolutely incorrect” though declined to specify how many jets India lost. “Why they were down, what mistakes were made…that is important” General Chauhan said. “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,” he added. The comments are the most direct yet from an Indian government or military official. Elated with Gen Chauhan’s disclosures, Uttam Reddy said, “As it appears very clearly, Rafale aircraft were shot down in the 4-day operations…CDS General Anil Chauhan confirmed this. The government of India should now stop denying this…”

As the nation is gung ho about Operation Sindoor, there is a major political battle about who carried out the first surgical strike on Pakistan? Was it done when the Congress was in office? Or when PM Modi took charge? Congress MP Shashi Tharoor sparked off a controversy with his remark that India’s first across Line of Control (LoC) surgical strike occurred in 2016 after PM Modi came to power. The Indian Army’s records also seem to support Tharoor’s assertion, the Congress quickly distanced itself from his statement. In 2016, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, the then-Army Northern Command Chief, stated that the September 2016 surgical strikes were a “first” of their kind. According to Tharoor, the Uri strike in September 2016 marked a significant shift in India’s approach, where the country breached the LoC to conduct a surgical strike on a terror base. He further noted that the Balakot strike in February 2019 took it a step further, crossing not only the LoC but also the international border to target terrorist headquarters. Tharoor is leading an Indian delegation to the U.S. and four other countries as part of the Centre’s global outreach in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera has been posting on X about how surgical strikes were carried out during the UPA era too and tagging Tharoor on these posts. He also cited Tharoor’s book The Paradoxical Prime Minister published in 2018 where he had questioned the “shameless exploitation” of the 2016 surgical strikes along the LOC with Pak by the Modi government which the Congress had never done. Strongly disapproving of Tharoor, Jairam Ramesh responded to one of the posts by Khera with a poetic swipe at Tharoor saying,”Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we first practice to deceive… “

PM Modi is very angry with Turkey. Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan it has consistently been hostile to India in complete disregard for the deep-rooted trade arrangements between the two countries. During the 2023 earthquake that ravaged Turkey, India was among the first countries to respond with relief material. India launched Operation Dost to provide assistance and relief materials. Yet, Turkey provided drones and personnel to Pakistan during the military hostilities that ensued between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack. Turkey’s repeated interference on the Kashmir issue and the recent support for Pakistan have adversely affected its bilateral ties with India. Modi has asked his top aides to do a systematic review of Turkey’s involvement in India’s infrastructural projects and strategic sectors such as the ongoing metro project in Lucknow, Pune and Mumbai and manufacturing in Gujarat. The government is reviewing both active and completed Turkish-linked projects and assessing their impact. While no official terminations have been made yet, the Indian government seems to be considering a gradual and economic disengagement with Turkey. During Apr-Feb 2024-25, India’s exports to Turkey amounted to $5.2 bn, forming about 1.5% of India’s total exports. Its imports during the same period stood at $2.84 bn accounting for 0.5% of India’s total imports. Between April 2000 and September 2024, India received around $240.18 mn in FDI from Turkey. Turkish companies have worked in partnership with Indian companies in several key sectors including, metro rail, tunnel construction, airport services, education, media and cultural cooperation. The Atal Tunnel project in Kashmir also had the involvement of Turkish firms. After central universities like JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia severed ties with Turkish counterparts, IITs and several universities have also followed suit.

PM Modi is very happy that he did not bow to the severe American pressure to give up buying Russian missile systems Jets equipped with Scalp missiles and S-400 Air Defence System; as they have been India’s weapons of choice in both the ongoing war with Pakistan and Operation Sindoor. The significance of the S-400 air defence system was demonstrated on the intervening night of May 8-9 when India effectively stopped an extensive onslaught by the Pakistani army employing drones and other missiles. The Russian S-400 and indigenous Akashteer defence systems successfully repelled every Pakistani attack, preventing any projectiles from hitting their objective. India’s defence forces even neutralised Pakistan’s one Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft in Punjab province of Pakistan. When India chose to purchase the S-400 defence system in 2018 through a $5 billion agreement with Russia, the Modi government was faced with significant criticism from the U.S. The acquisition of the S-400 by India was met with resistance from the earlier administrations of Joe Biden and Donald Trump. There had even been threats of sanctions from the White House under Donald Trump. However, Modi was aware of the importance of the S-400 in improving our air defences against China and Pakistan. Thus far, three S-400 squadrons have been received and are currently in service, with more expected to follow this year. It is the most advanced long-range air defence weapon in the world, with the ability to track and engage several aircraft targets up to 600 kilometres away. It is known as the “Sudarshan Chakra” inside the Indian Air Force and is capable of detecting, tracking and eliminating a wide range of airborne threats, including ballistic missiles, UAVs and fighter aircrafts. Modi has decided to place more orders for S-400 systems.

Noted writer Javed Akhtar has invited sharp comments from both extremes due to his statement that If he had to choose between hell and Pakistan, “I will prefer to go to hell.” Similarly, his oblique praise of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has evoked different reactions. Akhtar’s frank speech at the launch of Raut’s book “Hell in Heaven” in Mumbai on May 17 became a highlight. Always a target following his speeches, Akhtar said, “Both sides abuse me. But there are also many people who treat me kindly.”  Akhtar observed in the speech that many memorable literary works had been written in prison. His reference was to Raut’s jail custody for a hundred days in connection with a controversial land deal in Mumbai. The book written by Raut describes his experience in that detention. The book is in focus owing to the various claims made by Raut regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray. But Akhtar’s finding some similarity between Raut and many giants who went to prison for ideological reasons has angered leaders like Neelam Gorhe, deputy chairperson of the Maharashtra legislative council. She said, “Those leaders were in prison for fighting for the nation’s freedom or such noble causes, not for economic offences.” Akhtar’s remarks have generated ripples across social media and political circles. Expectedly, while some have praised Akhtar for his fearless stand against hate speeches, his critics feel that he is needlessly stoking a controversy.

The Union government is planning to send teams of political leaders, former diplomats and experts to countries in key regions of the world to articulate India’s point of view on the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent clashes with Pakistan. Among the MPs from the Opposition camp who are expected to be roped in for the outreach are Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, the current chair of the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs, former Jammu and Kashmir CM Ghulam Nabi Azad and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asauddin Owaisi. Azad is being considered as he is a prominent face from Kashmir who can speak on issues related to the region and cross-border terrorism. Owaisi, the Hyderabad MP has been the most vocal voice against Pakistan in the Opposition camp ever since the Pahalgam terror strike that killed 26 of our tourists on April 22. He has rallied in support of Operation Sindoor. According to official sources, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju is coordinating the foreign tour, which is expected to begin after May 22. Invitations have already been sent to the MPs. Each delegation is expected to comprise 5-6 MPs, who will visit different countries, including the U.S., the UK, South Africa, Qatar, and the UAE. According to sources, the government’s current aim in sending delegations of MPs from all parties is to send a clear message to the world. It is a lot like the time when PV Narasimha Rao felt the need that India must speak in one voice on Kashmir to counter a Pakistani onslaught. He had sent Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then an Opposition leader to lead an official delegation to the 1994 session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva and had forced withdrawal of a resolution to censure India on Kashmir.

The Turkish firm Celebi Airport Services that handled the lion’s share of ground handling services at nine major airports in India, lost its security clearance following Turkey’s support of Pakistan over Operation Sindoor. Turkey has been facing massive backlash over its support that even includes Indian tourists cancelling trips to the country. An order from the Civil Aviation Ministry this evening said the security clearance for Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd “is hereby revoked with immediate effect in the interest of national security”. Celebi has two separate entities — Celebi Airport Services India to manage ground handling operations and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India to oversee cargo services at Delhi International airport. The first carries out several high-security tasks critical to the safe and efficient functioning of airport operations. These include ramp services, which involve directing aircraft on the ground; load control and flight operations to ensure proper aircraft balance; and bridge operations, which manage the passenger boarding bridges connected to aircraft. The company also handles cargo and postal services, and warehouse management. Not just in our social media platforms but also political parties like the Shiv Sena wanted them out of Mumbai airport. Security strategist Sushant Sareen batted for complete removal of Turkish aviation firm “Turkey is involved in hostile anti-India propaganda and is involved in sinister activity to incite and instigate and indoctrinate Indian Muslims,” he said. Aviation consultant Sanjay Lazar noted that Çelebi was given security clearance during the UPA era, post-26/11, and faced opposition from trade unions even then. Of course, speculation that Çelebi is linked to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s family, particularly his daughter, is being denied. It is described as an MNC set up in 1958.

Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s endorsement of the government’s handling of Operation Sindoor may have won many friends for him across the aisle but his own party unfortunately viewed it as “crossing of the Lakshman Rekha”. At least this was made clear when party leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera were asked about Tharoor’s remark that India would never allow third-party mediation in its bilateral issues with Pakistan. That is because Tharoor’s remark had largely punctured Congress’ attack on the government. Jairam told the media, “When Tharoor saab speaks, it is not the party’s opinion.” The Congress, which assured full support to the Centre in its action against those behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, has now asked the government to come clean on what led to the ceasefire and questioned what role the U.S. played in it. The Indian leadership, including PM Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, has not mentioned the U.S. in statements following the ceasefire. For the last few days, the Congress has been asking why the U.S. President announced the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Some Congress leaders however felt party leadership was completely out of check with reality. It was felt the party was needlessly obsessing about President Trump. “Whether we like it or not, post Operation Sindoor, people are happy with PM Modi. India is happy that Pakistan has been beaten up.” That is precisely what Tharoor articulated and may be the reason why Congress is distancing itself from him. “People aren’t least bothered about Trump or what he claimed,” pointed out an AICC leader from the South. Meanwhile, official Congress briefings are worryingly becoming stuff for Pak TV to exploit.

From Punjab as we move to Purnia in Bihar. What comes to the fore is the endearing back story about Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, Director General Air Operation (DGMO), the architect of the air operations in the ongoing Operation Sindoor and his father Jeevachhlal Yadav (85), back home in Purnia.  The aging octogenarian was not aware about the backstage heroics and the pyrotechnics his son had masterminded against Pakistan till his next door neighbour called out, asked him to tune into TV news channels on May 11 evening. By the time he got hold of the remote, Air Marshal Bharti was already into the media briefing in New Delhi, sharing details and evidence of the clinical precision with which the Indian Air Force (IAF) struck Pakistani air bases and other crucial targets as part of Operation Sindoor. The father was a bit disappointed that his son had not shared details with him. “He did not tell me anything when he called up and spoke to me last week. He could have at least told me that he would be on TV,” said senior Yadav. However, since that day an ebullient Yadav is glued to the TV. His son was on TV again on May 12 afternoon, as part of the media briefing. Senior Yadav watched him with glee and a sense of pride. Media reports said Air Marshal Bharti has given his parents newfound fame and respect in Purnia. Air Marshal Bharti’s father described him as brilliant since childhood and as someone who always stood first. He went to the NDA, Pune and got commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in June 1987. He topped the NDA course and was awarded the prestigious “Sword of Honour”.  

Pakistan’s army is presently in a state of shock and awe. Gen Asim Munir failed to understand how Indian missiles and drones entered 100 km deep inside Pakistan and his army did not have a whiff about this attack. How his air defence system failed.  Gen Munir is deeply worried about this major gaffe. The terror hideouts that were destroyed were located in high-security zones. Prime Minister Modi had warned in advance that our armed forces would strike in a manner that Pakistan would never imagine. Terror headquarters of Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar and Syed Salahuddin were closely guarded by the Pakistani army near the cantonments and located in congested residential localities. Pakistan expected that many civilians would die in Indian attacks, but the precision bombs fell only on terror camps. Pakistan’s air defence systems were supposed to be strong near these nine sites. These targeted attacks have unnerved Islamabad. The attacks clearly show that the Pakistani generals have no idea about the efficiency and operational capabilities of the Indian armed forces. Meanwhile, it is being said “Operation Sindoor” was a tightly kept secret even within the Union Cabinet. PM Modi involved only Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Other members of the Cabinet Committee on Security — Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman — were kept in confidence. So, Rajnath’s importance has gone up. Modi wanted everything to be kept top secret. Within 25 minutes on May 7, our Army and Air Force destroyed terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) by launching missiles and drones. The headquarters of terror masterminds Hafiz Sayeed and Masood Azhar were reduced to rubble, deep inside Pakistani territory. Masood Azhar lost his sister and nine other family members in the air strike. It was Modi who took the big powers into confidence in advance to control the after effects of...

Known as Maharashtra’s cultural capital and fountainhead of many social reform movements, Pune has been shaken over the past few days owing to two daylight incidents of publicly supporting Pakistan and Hamas. More shocking is the fact that the pro-Hamas activity has taken place in Karve Nagar, an elite locality in Pune. When local BJP workers learnt that a group of youngsters was distributing pamphlets in support of Hamas in that area, they rushed to the spot and tried to prevent the effort. There was a free for all and the BJP group has demanded urgent appropriate action against the Hamas backers. The police have assured them that no anti-national activity will be permitted and those breaching social amity will face action. In the other incident, a young girl, said to be an engineering student, has been sent into police custody for posting slogans like Pakistan Zindabad on social media. It is alleged that she recently visited her relatives in Srinagar. After some organisations declared that they would stage a demonstration against her, the police took adequate precautions while producing her in court. In recent months, intermittent news reports have appeared about the objectionable developments in certain Pune pockets. The police have intensified their campaign to identify and arrest illegal immigrants, especially those from Bangladesh. Pune is considered a BJP stronghold and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is its guardian minister. As these incidents took place amidst the height of Operation Sindoor, more follow up actions are anticipated.

The ruling DMK made its point in Tamil Nadu when it took out a rally to display its solidarity with the armed forces that were actively engaged in the conflict with Pakistan. The ceasefire announcement may have come just as the rally was moving on to the Marina Beach Road, but the DMK has only upholding a tradition of the party supporting the Union government during any external threat to the nation. Carrying the national flag and walking the Marina promenade has been a tradition since the war against China broke out in 1962, which was when the DMK founder Annadurai declared that his party was giving up its separate Tamil homeland (Dravida Nadu) demand in a national Indian cause. The Congress may have run the same kind of rally in Hyderabad and Chennai before chief minister MK Stalin walked to display his solidarity, but the DMK march for a national cause has been something that the party has always revered. So much so, even the Governor RN Ravi lauded the DMK for the rally. Of course, the DMK has come a long way since supporting such causes as Eelam, with a territory covering Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu as a Tamil homeland. Such thoughts are probably only nursed by the likes of Vaiko and other politicians who remain wedded to the romantic notion of a Tamil nation.

In the post-Pahalgam scenario, while the entire Opposition had initially united in support behind the Narendra Modi government, Sanjay Raut turned out to be the first lone voice of dissent. Not content at just demanding Amit Shah’s resignation for his failure as home minister in preventing the Pahalgam attack, Raut also made snide remarks about state call for mock drills likening it to the call for banging of thalis during Covid. He also got his Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena to abstain from the all-party meet called on April 24. In the absence of Uddhav Thackeray, who is said to be vacationing in Europe, for which he earned some brickbats too for not cutting it short, it was left to veteran leader Sharad Pawar to tame him down. Pawar questioned his absence at the first all-party meet. Subsequently, Raut’s tune changed his tone. Not only did he turn up at the following all-party meet on May 8 chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Shah himself but also briefly muted his criticism of the Modi government. But this ceasefire too didn’t last long. He did a volte face on May 11; strongly demanded Shah’s resignation once again and even daring the PM to address an all-party meet. A considerably weakened Uddhav Thackeray, post the Sena split engineered by Eknath Shinde, is said to have given him a free hand. Despite being criticised, ridiculed and even despised for his daily-morning media bytes, earning him the sobriquet of “morning siren” , Raut has emerged as the lone ranger within his party, his alliance and even in the nation as the post-Pahalgam scenario revealed.

It was a PM Modi speech that the entire nation was waiting to hear. That was because everyone wanted to know why Operation Sindoor — that was going so well for India — had been called off. Today we finally heard from the horse’s mouth that Op Sindoor has only been paused. The action is not over yet. He laid bare his Pakistan policy —  he spelt out his terms of engaging with a terror sponsoring state like Pakistan post Operation Sindoor. He let it be known to the whole world that no power on earth can make him have a dialogue with Islamabad, post Pahalgam terror strike of May 7. “…If there will be talks between India and Pakistan, it will only be on terrorism and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)…India’s stand has been clear, terror, trade and talks cannot be done together,” he said. He said “Operation Sindoor is not just a name. It is a reflection of the feelings of millions of people in the country. Operation Sindoor is an unbroken pledge of justice. Late night of May 6 and morning of May 7, the whole world has seen this pledge turning into results.”  A quotable quote from his speech was “Pakistan ki tayyari seema par vaar ki thi lekin Bharat ne Pakistan ke seene par vaar kar diya“. But by far the boldest of what he said, “…No nuclear blackmail will be tolerated anymore…” He said “Terrorist attack on India will have to face a befitting reply, and the response will be on our terms”. The best part of the speech, he made no reference to President Donald Trump or Vice President JD Vance. 

There has been an outrage of sorts over the manner in which Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his family have been trolled in the social media over India-Pak ceasefire agreement. Many bureaucrats have come in his support. Former foreign secretary Nirupama Menon called the trolling “utterly shameful” and said it “crosses every line of decency”. The IAS Association expressing “solidarity with Vikram Misri and  his family” described “unwarranted personal attacks on civil servants” performing their duties as deeply regrettable. Misri’s rise is not just personal success; it is the triumph of memory over forgetting, of dignity over hate, of perseverance over persecution. Born in Srinagar on 7 November 1964, into the serene, intellectual world of Kashmiri Hindus whose peace was shattered by a storm of militancy that swept through the valley in the late 1980s and 90s—a storm not born of the people, but of political poison fed across the border by Pakistan. Like thousands of others, the Misri family was uprooted—not because they broke the law, but because they simply existed. Because they prayed differently. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1989, the very year many of his own were forced to flee. He took over as Foreign Secretary on July 15, 2024. He also served in various capacities at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), worked in the PMO under three PMs (Gujaral, Dr Singh and Modi)  and in various Indian Missions abroad. He was part of the Pakistan desk of the MEA.

Cessation of the India and Pakistan war, albeit temporarily at the latter’s request, has upset India’s armed forces that were keen on consolidating, annexing tracts of Indian territory under illegal occupation of Pakistan. In a double whammy Pakistan faced a revocation of its civil aviation licenses from regulatory agencies in France in the wake of continued domestic air traffic flown over the country’s airspace while its rogue army continued launching drone, missile attacks on India after Operation Sindoor’s unprecedented success, destroyed launchpads, terrorists training grounds in Pakistan. This even while American civil aviation regulatory agencies chose to ignore the Pakistani infractions that put at risk air passengers by using them as aerial shields to ward off an intensive Indian aerial response to indiscriminate drone and missile attacks upon India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to launch an all-out war against its delinquent neighbour after failed attempts to impact military installations within India was slowed down untimely after Pakistan’s request for ceasefire brokered by U.S. president Donald Trump, who prematurely started town crying about his mediation having stopped the war. “No one asked Trump to play Santa Claus and look foolish when a segment of the Pakistani armed forces (read army generals from factions opposed to Asif Munir) refused to hold fire, instead continuing aerial warfare against India,” sources revealed. The PM’s resolve to reply with a bomb for every bullet fired by Pakistan towards India is elucidated further by the source thus: “While Islamic terror threatens a thousand cuts upon the non-Muslim world, the Indian adage of sau sunar ki, ek lohar ki was ably demonstrated by India by the 10 big anti-terror strikes launched under Operation Sindoor.”

The stoppage of firing and military action between India and Pakistan has been worked out directly between the two countries. The Pak DGMO initiated the call on Saturday, May 10 at 3.30 pm after which discussions took place and understanding reached. There is no decision to hold talks on any other issue at any other place. Official sources said India agreed to the ceasefire given that the final strikes were Indian ones on Pak air bases. The Pak DGMO reportedly told India counterpart that Pakistan would not undertake any more strikes and specifically requested a ceasefire.  The U.S. duress of withholding IMF loans was specific — the $1 bn provisional release linked to immediate acceptance and balance subject to compliance. The Indus Water Treaty suspension remains unaffected. No information will be shared with Pakistan and India will commence water projects on the 3 northern rivers. The U.S. has accepted India’s change of war doctrine. Any further terror attack will be accepted as an act of war. While U.S. President Donald Trump in a X post claimed the U.S. had mediated long nights of talks between Delhi and Islamabad for the ceasefire, EAM Dr S Jaishankar’s post on X made no reference to Washington’s role. The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while confirming the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, praised PM Modi, Sharif for “wisdom”. The “ceasefire” however disappointed hard-nosed security experts like Brahma Chellaney that PM Modi did not take Operation Sindoor to its logical conclusion ending war against India of Pak military generals through terrorist proxies. Commodore Raghu R Nair said, “While we will be adhering to the understanding reached today, we remain fully prepared and ever-vigilant and committed to defending the sovereignty and integrity of the motherland. Every misadventure by Pakistan has been met with strength and every future escalation will invite a decisive response.”

Pakistan’s continued escalation along the western front through drone incursions and munitions is a matter of grave concern. On May 10 at 5 am, multiple armed enemy drones were detected over Khasa Cantt, Amritsar. Our air defence units responded swiftly, intercepting and neutralising all hostile UAVs. This blatant attempt to violate India’s sovereignty and endanger civilian lives is unacceptable. At a joint MoD-MEA presser, Col Sofiya Qureshi asserted how Pakistan’s spread misinformation on social media, falsely claiming it had targeted the S-400 air defence systems at Adampur, Suratgarh, and Sirsa Air Force Stations, BrahMos base and others.” Following Pakistan’s deliberate targeting of Indian air bases, the Indian Armed Forces responded swiftly with a well-coordinated and strategic operation. In retaliation, Indian armed forces targeted key military infrastructure including technical installations, command and control centres, radar stations, and arms depots. Col Sofiya said precision air-launched strikes and fighter jets were deployed to hit military bases at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian. Additionally, a radar site in Pasrur and the aviation base in Sialkot were precisely struck. Throughout the operation, India ensured minimal collateral damage and civilian impact. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri pointed out that Pak claims about attacking and destroying various places, various military installations and facilities, have been fact checked and are completely false. “The claim about the Air Force Station in Sirsa being destroyed is completely false, as you have seen. The claim about the Air Force Station in Surat being destroyed is completely false again”.  Details of terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor (May 7) that have come out reveal 3 Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives and 2 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who managed operations in J&K and Punjab were killed.

India hit out against Pakistan for making a preposterous and outrageous claim that it was the Indian Armed Forces that were targeting its own cities. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said this view was being articulated to give a communal overtone to the conflict.  He said, “…Instead of owning up to its actions, Pakistan made the preposterous and outrageous claims that it was the Indian armed forces that is targeting its own cities like Amritsar and trying to blame it on Pakistan… They are well-versed in such actions as their history would show…” Pakistan spread disinformation that India targeted the Nankama Sahib Gurdwara through a drone attack, which is yet another blatant lie… Pakistan is trying desperately to impart a communal hue to the situation with an intention to create a communal discord…” He referred to the Pak firing on a gurudwara in Poonch on May 7. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said, “Around 300 to 400 drones were used (by Pakistan) to attempt infiltration at 36 locations…Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones…” Wing Commander Vyomika Singh made an important point how ..Pakistan did not close its civil airspace despite it launching a failed unprovoked drone and missile attack on  May 7 at 8.30 pm. “Pakistan used a civil airliner as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response. “The airspace on the Indian side is absolutely devoid of civil air traffic due to our declared closure. However, there are civil airlines flying the air route between Karachi and Lahore…IAF demonstrated considerable restraint in its response 

Ongoing hostilities with Pakistan will witness new outcomes in stark contrast to the 1971 war in so much that landed property falling into Indian hands will not be handed back to our perpetually unfriendly neighbour. As NSA Ajit Doval recently articulated, India has moved from defensive offence to offensive defence in a calibrated manner. A South block source said, “If Pakistan does not apologize within a couple of days and end its Don Quixote’s (Asif Munir’s) lame war efforts, the price to pay will sever parts of the Pakistani landscape from its army’s effective control. India won’t return captured land this time round unlike in 1971. Congress’ tenure, including AK Antony’s, when admittedly, roads, infrastructure was avoided on common borders with China, never spruced up on the Indian side as strategy to prevent Chinese incursions. During Modi’s regime the shoe is on the other foot now with massive roads, infrastructure created to facilitate quick transport of army personnel, weapons to borders at the drop of a hat. An unexpectedly positive fallout of the current war with Pakistan showcased the true calibre/capability of international weaponry systems and shortcomings exhibited by some. India not only showcased its indigenous military might but also demonstrated the potency of Rafael fighters, Israeli and Russian collaborations. Pakistan in turn was provided with American F-16s (on dole) and Chinese weaponry (price payable when able), both falling far short of international armoury benchmarks. The whole world witnessed live demonstration of war capabilities of multiple nations with Indian collaborations with France, Russia and Israel set to turn us into a big exporter of defence goods in the post war era.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has congratulated the Modi government and the armed forces for launching the military action against Pakistan, boosting the nationalistic fervour pervading the nation. “We congratulate the Central government leadership and our armed forces for decisive action Operation Sindoor taken against Pak-sponsored terrorists and their supporting ecosystem following the cowardly attack on unarmed tourists at Pahalgam. This action to serve justice to aggrieved families and the entire country in the brutal massacre of Hindu tourists has enhanced self-respect and morale of the whole country,” the RSS said in its official statement. Expressing solidarity with the government is rare for the RSS, which says “We totally agree that military action being taken against terrorists, their infrastructure and support systems in Pakistan is necessary and inevitable for the security of the country. In this hour of national crisis, the entire country stands with the government and armed forces in spirit and action.” RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence just a few days prior to the launching of the concerted action by the three arms of the Indian military. Such a visit has taken place after many decades. Earlier Modi had visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur to pay respects to its founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the first time the PM had gone there since taking over in 2014. Both visits had evoked a strong political comment. The intent of the visits is becoming visible now.

In the wake of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan attempted to escalate tensions by launching missile strikes at Indian military installations across J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Every single one of those missiles was intercepted or neutralized. None reached its intended target.  India’s rapid, coordinated response showcased the strength of its air defence ecosystem built painstakingly over the past 11 years under PM Modi’s leadership. It also exposed the hollowness of the Pakistani Air defence system. The Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid, S-400 Triumf systems, Barak-8 missiles, Akash Surface-to-Air Missiles and DRDO’s anti drone technologies came together seamlessly to create an aerial shield that held firm. India didn’t stop at defending. It retaliated with speed and precision. Operation Sindoor saw the Indian Armed Forces strike deep into Pakistani territory, destroying a Chinese-supplied HQ-9 air defence unit in Lahore and damaging key radar infrastructure. This level of preparedness didn’t materialize overnight. It was a decade of strategic preparedness. Since 2014, the Modi government has systematically upgraded India’s air defence architecture. It was a day when everyone remembered late former defence minister Manohar Parrikar with gratitude for acquiring 5 S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia in spite of stiff opposition from the U.S.in October 2018. It was the S-400 that played a key role not only in defending but retaliating with speed and precision. Additionally, Israeli-origin Harop drones—now locally built—were deployed to target and destroy air defence assets in Karachi and Lahore. These platforms, combined with the strategic deployment of Rafale fighter jets equipped with SCALP and HAMMER missiles, demonstrated India’s capability to project power with surgical precision.  With airspace secured, the government ensured that its approach to defence has not been about flashy one-offs and that it has been about building...

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor cannot be ignored or intimidated even by his own party. But surprisingly his talents, communication and diplomatic skills are overlooked…deliberate or by accident? Tharoor’s felicity with English and his fluent communication is often dubbed intellectual arrogance. A recent interview with Al Arabia is bound to make the country look at him with awe and admiration. It is a lesson in non-partisan voice in a time of national crisis. Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs he has hit home the fact that the current conflict with Pakistan is India’s “calibrated response” to Pakistan’s repeated terrorist incursions. “India is not escalating, merely reacting with precision and restraint by hitting back at terrorist locations.” Pakistan is a master of denial …the most humiliating one when Osama Bin Laden was given sanctuary in Abbottabad. Tharoor further goes on to laud the term “Sindoor” and how appropriate it is in the context of the terror killing of a newly-wed man at Pahalgam …in one swoop , his wife’s as well as many other victim’s sindoor was wiped off. Why then is the Congress High Command not openly volunteering his talents as a global media mouthpiece to defend India’s stand? The BJP and especially Modi have extended their hand openly. At the Vizhinjam Port inauguration, Modi was all admiration for Tharoor’s presence. Is the tipping point at hand now? Whatever the political exigencies and ideology compulsions, a resource like Tharoor could well be harnessed for India’s benefit.

India strongly protested state funerals for three terrorists killed in ‘Operation Sindoor’. At a Press Conference on May 8, foreign secretary Vikram Misri displayed a picture of Pakistan army personnel attending the funeral of three terrorists killed during Operation Sindoor. He said it was “odd that the funerals of terrorists were carried out with the coffins being draped in Pakistani flags and state honours being accorded.” India confirmed that several terror targets were eliminated in the strikes which Pakistan claimed to be civilians. Images of Pak Army personnel at the funeral of three terrorists killed during Indian military strikes surfaced on May 7. The funeral held in Muridke — approximately 40 km from Lahore — was also attended by members of Jamaat-ud-Dawah, the banned organisation led by Hafiz Saeed. The three individuals, Qari Abdul Malik, Khalid and Mudassir, were killed in the terror group’s headquarters in Muridke. “…I wonder what message this picture actually sends to all of you. This is a question that is worth asking. As far as we are concerned, individuals eliminated at these facilities were terrorists, giving terrorists, state funerals, maybe a practice in Pakistan,” Misri added.  On Pakistan’s propaganda that it downed Indian jets, Misri said, “…There is nothing surprising in it. After all, this is a country that started lying as soon as it was born. In 1947, when the Pakistani army claimed Jammu and Kashmir, they lied not to any random person but to the United Nations that we have nothing to do with it…So this journey started 75 years ago. Pakistan also alleges that we have targeted the Neelum-Jhelum dam in PoJK, it is absolutely fabricated and a blatant lie,” he added.  

The Indian armed forces successfully executed ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the early hours of May 7 carrying out targeted strikes on nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that had left 26 civilians dead. Shortly after the confirmation of military strikes in Pakistan, the Indian Army in a post on X said, “Justice is served. Jai Hind!”. The best part about the strike was the surprise element. Delhi chose to strike Pakistan in the wee hours on a day when it may have least expected. That’s because across the nation citizens had been asked to prepare for civil defence for a war like situation! Modi, who had vowed stern action to the terror attack had monitored Operation Sindoor throughout the night. In a big boost to military strikes, JeM chief Masood Azhar who is responsible for multiple terror attacks in India admitted that 10 members of his family had been killed in the attack on Jama Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur. Details of Op Sindoor were shared with the media by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and two women officers from the services — Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. Colonel Qureshi, who hails from Gujarat clarified that no military infrastructure of Pakistan was struck during the operation. Foreign Secretary Misri said that the probe into the Pahalgam terror attack had clearly established Pakistan links. He also noted  that Pakistan did not take any action against “terrorist infrastructure” after the Pahalgam terror attack. Misri said the Resistance Front, which claimed responsibility for the attack, was connected with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Responding to the attacks,  a Pakistan government’s statement noted that India’s “temporary pleasure will be replaced by enduring grief”.

The Pahalgam terror-attack that resulted in deaths of innocent Indians and a foreign tourist holidaying in the Kashmir Valley may cause a deeper deterioration in India-Pakistan cricket ties. Hitherto the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), adhering to a long-standing government guideline, does not engage Pakistan in bilateral series across formats. An Indian cricket team — men, women and under-19 — has not played on Pakistan soil for more than one and a half decades (since 2008), but Pakistan played the ICC World Cup 2023 matches in India — at Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai. The BCCI though maintained its position of not sending the men in blue team to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy in February-March this year. India played all its matches in Dubai. The Indian government has always maintained that Pakistan is a State-sponsor of terror strikes in the Northern Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir and hence there is no place for bilateral cricketing relationship with Pakistan. The BCCI was quick to condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam and used the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad to pay homage to the victims. A hybrid model was worked out for the ICC Champions Trophy and the same is the formula worked out for future ICC events ending in 2027.  Pakistan has qualified for the ICC Women’s World Cup to be hosted by India this September-October and it will not travel to India. Will the BCCI take the extreme step of not playing against Pakistan or request the ICC and ACC that India should not be placed in the same group as Pakistan. Only time will tell.  

When he was Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, many decades ago called up senior leader Sharad Pawar and requested him to accommodate his son Omar in Mumbai as the situation in his own state was very bad. All the academic institutions were closed due to disturbances in Kashmir.  Farooq wanted Omar to continue his education, hence he had contacted Pawar with the request.  “Omar stayed in my house and completed his education,” Pawar told a Pune rally while speaking on the latest situation in the border state. Pawar said he was mentioning this little-known fact since the Abdullah family had close relations with his family. Pawar called up the chief minister of the state Omar Abdullah to obtain the latest updates post the Pahalgam massacre. “Omar has assured me that every person in Kashmir is of the opinion that no compromise should be made with Pakistan,” Pawar told a meeting in Pune. He appealed to the people to think as Indians and remain united by forgetting any other differences on the issue of the nation’s unity. Pawar complimented Union home minister Amit Shah for owing up any lapse on the part of the intelligence agencies in regard to the terrorist attack and reiterated that this is not the time to think about religion or caste. He lamented that attempts were made by certain elements to give a religious tint to the tragedy. 

PM Narendra Modi has planned something ‘big’ against Pakistan following the J&K terror attack upon innocent Hindu tourists. Pakistan’s army Chief Asim Munir, is on India’s crosshairs, like former Pakistan armed forces Chief Qamar Bajwa was after the 2019 Pulwama terror attack claimed lives of 40 Indian CRPF jawans. Then, NSA Ajit Doval employed his wherewithal to neutralize Bajwa following the Balakot strikes and soon Bajwa was eased out of service, like his predecessor General Asfaq Kayani who took refuge in Australia after being deposed. The Balakot bombings and aerial dogfight that cost Pakistan an advanced (American) F16 fighter plane brought down in aerial combat by Captain Abhinandan from the Indian Airforce operating his antiquated MIG (Russian) fighter plane even as the Balakot air strikes were concluded by his colleagues using other fighter jets. Bajwa’s exit as army chief was precipitated and he eschewed his homeland choosing France after suffering ignominy of a four-hour wait to meet Saudi Arabia’s political leader with his begging bowl seeking a $4 billion soft loan that was also declined. Asim Munir also finds himself in an unenviable position after internal strife engulfed the neighbouring country with terror attacks by Tahereek-e-Taliban against Pakistan police, army posts alongside eruptions of unrest in Balochistan. Munir’s desperation was evident when he resorted to a public forum while dwelling upon cultural differences between Islam and Hindus only days before the Hindu-religion-discriminated terror attack was launched. Bajwa got away lightly, being ousted from power but Munir’s fate will likely be worse with his very life at stake now. The political formations in Pakistan are also rallying up against Munir, whose days are surely numbered now.

All eyes are now on the Indian armed forces, as PM Modi vowed to avenge the killings of Hindu tourists in Pahalgam. Modi’s top ministers have discussed all options. But they have left it to Modi to decide on the action. They feel Modi will go for a sustained approach and not an immediate strike– because there is no pressure of any election like in February 2019. Modi had ordered the IAF to strike at the Balakot terrorist training camp in Pakistan after many CRPF men were killed in Pulwama. This time, Modi’s plan is: the end of the game for terrorists and their perpetrators. Meanwhile, the Pakistani army has begun troop movement near the borders in Rajasthan and Kashmir and tanks and heavy weapons are being shifted from Afghan border to the Indian border. Pakistani fighter jets were seen flying along with cargo planes to transport troops and weapons to the Indian border. India has defeated Pakistan in three wars. Pakistan officials are worried that many Pakistani fighter jets are in poor condition because of a lack of spare parts. Pakistani tanks do not have enough diesel for long-distance attacks. Pakistan wants to show the world that Kashmir is no longer under India’s control, but the world is watching that nothing is under control in Pakistan — neither PoK, Balochistan nor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. If Pakistan carries out any misadventure, it must fight on four fronts. A former Pakistani army major, Adil Raja, has claimed that the killings of Hindu terrorists in Pahalgam were carried out on the directions of Army Chief Gen Asim Munir. Indian security agencies are evaluating reports that the people of Pakistan are not happy with their Army Chief, and to curb the growing voices of dissent, Gen. Munir chose the old formula to carry out a big terror attack in Kashmir to save his chair.

PM Narendra Modi who chaired the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on the back of terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed, took a series of steps to corner Pakistan and express India’s anger over Islamabad’s mischief in killing the innocents. Delhi began with what could hit Pakistan the hardest; it declared holding the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance with immediate effect, until the recalcitrant neighbour credibly and irrevocably abjured its support for cross-border terrorism. In another significant move, the Integrated Check Post Attari will also be closed with immediate effect. Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1 2025. It was also made clear Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). Any SVES visa issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India. Cracking down on the Pakistani High Commission, the CCS wanted the Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi to be declared Persona Non Grata. They have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions. The overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions to be effective from May 1. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in the Union Territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.

First, India did not travel to Pakistan — the host country for the ICC Champions Trophy – and then on Tuesday (Mar 4) it marched to victory against Australia in the semi-finals and confirmed its entry in the final. Which meant that the last piece of the Champions Trophy action would happen in petro-$ Emirate Of  Dubai because that was the arrangement worked upon by the ICC with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) which was enthusiastic to parade the “Champions” talent at three of its most popular venues in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi. One can only be sympathetic towards the PCB and the country’s cricket diwane having waited for around three decades to host an ICC event, but circumstances beyond the control of the BCCI and the men in blue team has led to a peculiar situation wherein Pakistan will not be able to host the final. The only way the PCB and Pakistan could have hoped to stage the final was with its national team advancing to the knock-out stage and India getting eliminated at the group stage itself. But always a white-ball giant, the India juggernaut quelled four ‘Champion’ teams and took a big stride to position it for winning another title. While Pakistan will be utterly disappointed, the Indian expatriates are only happy to cheer their favourite team yet another time. India has not lost a single ODI match at the Dubai International Stadium There has been anomalies this ICC event has brought to the fore. Can this be rectified at all?

There was an inevitability to the ICC Champions Trophy going the way India (BCCI) wanted it to happen; a hybrid model with one group, with India in it, playing the preliminary stage at a neutral venue (most likely in  Dubai or more venues in the UAE) and the second group with host Pakistan in it, playing at home. Being the host nation, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had to take the unbending position initially for public consumption at home. But after the latest round of ICC Board meetings, the PCB has been made to come around to a view that the hybrid model is the way forward to make possible the revival of the eight-team tournament last played in the English summer of 2017. One can surmise that the other cricket boards understood the sensitive situation better following the BCCI’s communication to the ICC that it would not risk sending its team to Pakistan, citing security concerns. India’s national cricket team has not toured Pakistan since 2008, and the Narendra Modi government has been steadfast in holding on to the call taken by the previous governments. It’s possible that the boards, the non-Asians would have aligned themselves with India’s position for a hybrid model. Pakistan won the last Champions Trophy at `The Oval’ in London in June 2017 and will be keen to give its best shot to defend the title. The PCB — pushed to the corner — wants a similar arrangement for the ICC events in the coming years thus throwing the ball in the ICC court!

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray has warned against the release of The Legend of Maula Jatt, a Pakistani blockbuster, in the state. If permitted, the film will be screened just around the beginning of the Navratri festival. Also, it will be the first Pakistani movie to be released in India after 13 years. The previous Pakistani movie Bol was shown in 2011. Pakistani artists can’t work in India since 2016 following the Uri terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir. Thackeray’s warning comes following reports that the film will be released only in Mumbai. Thackeray’s affection for art is well known. Himself a renowned cartoonist, Raj is frequently seen at silver screen events. He has observed, “Art does not have national frontiers. This may be all right in other cases, but for Pakistan, this will not do at all. What is this business of bringing here actors to dance from a country whose whole existence depends upon hatred of India? Let alone Maharashtra, the government should not allow this movie to be screened in any state of the country,” he quipped. Warning of action if theatre owners went ahead to screen the film, Raj Thackeray has reminded all concerned of what MNS has done in the past when such incidents occurred. The rank and file of MNS is recharged with Raj’s warning in view of the impending assembly election in the state. 

An India-Pakistan rivalry has gained ground in track and field sport. It’s always been typecast in hockey and cricket, but on Thursday (Aug 8) at the Paris Olympics’ Stade De France that was packed, Pakistan’s Ashraf Nadeem created the big buzz by sending the spear to a distance of 92.97 metres that deflated the ideas of others in the fray. India’s champion thrower for eight years, Neeraj Chopra, who is used to winning gold medals, had to settle for the silver with a good effort of 89.45 metres. Nadeem has been challenging Neeraj in major international events, but did not find ways to upstage his Indian opponent with whom he enjoys a friendly relationship. But on an eventful day at the venue where the world’s leading athletes are flaunting their talent, the 27-year old from Pakistan made his rivals tremble in their boots with an Olympic record throw. He fouled the first throw and so did Neeraj. Nerves were playing havoc. But in the second Nadeem used his muscle power to deliver a sensational result. Neeraj responded with great calm, but his best was not good enough to enable him to win back to back gold medals having won the first one he had won in Tokyo. The two will get into a showdown in Tokyo in September 2025 at the World Athletics Championship. But as of now it’s time for Nadeem and Pakistan to celebrate for achieving glory at an Olympics after 40 years. Nadeem has thrown the javelin to a 90 plus distance twice, Neeraj not even once. It was the 16th instance of a javelin thrower making the javelin travel to a distance of 92. 97 metres and the first Asian to get into the record books.

The Bangladesh cauldron of political confusion engineered by Pakistan’s Inter-Services-Intelligence (ISI), at the instance of China, culminated with the exile of duly elected 76-year-old Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday (Aug 5). India’s Neighbourhood First policy implemented since 2014, after PM Narendra Modi took charge of Indian affairs, caused the Indo-Bangladesh most preferred nation status over trade and intelligence sharing to the acute chagrin of Pakistan’s military establishment. Recently, the US-Russian cold war restarted after the Ukraine war commenced in February 2022 and, the USA keenly pursued plans to set up an airbase in Bangladesh to counter Russia. Sheikh Hasina, under active protection and guidance from India, time and again thwarted the nefarious designs of the Pakistani intelligence that proliferated her nation, even successfully contested, and won the elections for the seventh time. Timely intelligence support extended by India (read Ajit Doval) was more than a little help for the Bangladesh PM, during repeated offensives launched by then ISI Chief Bajwa. More recently Hasina visited China over promises of financial aid of a few billion dollars and returned disappointed after Chinese conditions sought to be imposed in return for the financial aid. The Bangladesh PM was not even afforded the basic courtesy of a proper reception with protocols. Miffed, Hasina returned to her nation and promptly reignited her India connections, handing over a port and three more projects to Indian entities through PM Narendra Modi. Now, the exiled Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, having already been accommodated with temporary refuge by India, has to decide. Even as NSA Ajit Doval immediately met up with Hasina, it would be up to her entirely to formally seek asylum from India before India makes its stand clear. Ironically, even as the leftist brigade of India blames Modi for being anti Muslim, the premier of a Muslim nation finds India as the safest haven when radical...

The recent bout of intensified terror attacks launched in the Jammu region of the J&K Union Territory of India by Pakistan is akin to an unofficially declared war backed up by Chinese armory and Pakistani sniper commandos tasked with inflicting mortal damage upon the Indian army. According to a source, “The targeted terror strikes in the Hindu dominated Jammu region over the last three months has witnessed military sharp commandos carrying out the attacks using sophisticated Chinese make weapons and bullet proof vests piercing bullets to cause collateral loss of Indian soldiers. These apparent terrorists are expert snipers trained to set their sights on vulnerable spots on the soldiers notwithstanding the vests they wear.” Already, five to six families (Kashmiri Pandits) resident in the border regions of Jammu have relocated providing indication of the intent of the Pakistani offensive. Additionally, the huge lithium reserves discovered in the region that India intends to exploit to launch into the next age of economic development of the country through new age battery technology is also sought to be undermined by arresting the region of Jammu under a vortex of new found terrorism to literally bring physical regions under Pakistan’s terror cloud. J&K Governor Manoj Sinha, meanwhile, is working overtime after securing additional troops to quell the resurgent terror targeting soldiers and the Hindu population living peacefully in India’s paradise on Earth. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia in the wake of the intensified attacks were also aimed at exploiting the Russian alliance with China in order to curtail the latter’s tacit backing for Pakistan. The signs are ominous just like in 2019, when Modi stopped referring to Pakistan by name following the Pulwama terror attack and the Balakot strike upon terror was launched.

Even an in form batter – Virat Kohli- has been unable to find his feet in the ongoing ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup. The leading run-getter in the Twenty20 internationals before the start of the competition amassed 741 runs in 15 innings of the Tata-IPL_17, all as an opener, but in the three innings of the preliminary stage in New York, Kohli has been off-colour, making one run off five balls against Ireland, four off three balls against Pakistan and 0 off one ball against the USA. So he goes into the fourth match of the tournament – against Canada at Florida — facing a mere 10 balls and eager to get going before the start of the Super 8 stage phase of the World Cup in the West Indies. He has hit one boundary shot at the 34000-capacity Nassau County Stadium that’s dismantled after India’s third straight match there. The team’s think tank’s call to pair Rohit Sharma and Kohli as openers – to find balance in the playing XI — has not worked well so far. The champion batter has scored 405 runs as an opener (from 12 innings, including the three at Nassau) with one century and two fifties, but 3076 runs at No 3 with 32 fifties at No 3. He has also batted at numbers 4,5 and 6, but one-drop is his most productive position. His single-digit scores in the World Cup are the fourth in a row, dismissed as he was for 0 by Afghanistan in Bengaluru in January 2024. Kohli has disappointed New York, and the Pakistan captain Babar Azam has dislodged him from the top spot in the game’s shortest form.