What was the aim of Operation Sindoor? Why was the operation halted so soon? asks Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
Operation Sindoor is paused, not halted.
This is what the powers that be have reiterated many times because it absolves the government to come out with a report like the Kargil Review Committee highlighting what was right and what went wrong, including our losses -- both men and material.
What was the aim of Operation Sindoor? Did the government lay down the desired end state? What were the intelligence inputs?
Why was the response delayed by so many days -- alerting the terrorists?
Why was Pakistan's jugular of terrorism (the ISI HQ) not targeted?
What were our losses of men and material? Why was the operation halted so soon?
Why haven't we raised the issue of Chinese support to Pakistan (during Op Sindoor) with Beijing? All these questions will remain unanswered.
The government's silence over our aircraft losses, particularly Rafale(s), despite the French air force chief saying India's loss of Rafale(s), plus photographs in the media of the crashed Rafale (close to Bhatinda) with its number clearly visible is possibly because India is to import 26 Rafale (M) for the Indian Navy, despite the French Institute of International Relations stating the fourth-generation French Rafale pitted against the Russian fifth-generation fighter aircraft could possibly survive for three days, plus media reports of China supplying fifth-generation fighter jets to Pakistan early next year.
The massive damage to Pakistan in Op Sindoor is credible but hiding losses indicate lack of spine.
This is about the two day debate during the monsoon session of Parliament, which showcased the pathetic state of politics that India has been reduced to; mudslinging sans dignity, arrogance, allegiance to a political party (not India), sacrificing principles for popularity, and ducking behind the past.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament no service personnel were killed.
Isn't this incorrect with questions by families of the 10 army personnel killed asking why the government doesn't acknowledge those who laid down their lives in the service of the nation (external link)?
Does Rajnath remember the transparency during the 1999 Kargil conflict despite 527 army personnel killed?
Where we have a defence minister who refuses to recognise army personnel killed in action, the Union home secretary has announced that CAPF personnel injured during operations will get full benefits till retirement (external link).
On the question of ceasefire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the House that no head of State had asked for the ceasefire.
He is right in saying so, but then US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on May 10 that he and Vice President J D Vance engaged Indian and Pakistani officials (including both prime ministers) and both agreed to an immediate ceasefire (external link).
Parag Jain is the new chief of R&AW, with the media accrediting him with excellent intelligence during Op Sindoor.
But our intelligence agencies had no idea that Pakistan's Nur Khan air base is under US control, that American nukes are stored in the vicinity of Nur Khan and Kirana Hills, and terrorists had vacated Muridke, including the terrorists-run madrassas.
There was no nuclear fallout but if the presence of US nukes was known, the government would have never hit these places.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar sprang a surprise in Parliament saying J D Vance called up Modi on May 9 warning of a massive Pakistani attack expected in the next few hours, and that the attack did take place but was foiled by our armed forces.
Jaishankar said the House should collectively appreciate the performance of our armed forces in preventing what was a massive attack on the 9th and 10th of May.
Naturally, this Vance-Modi telephonic conversation can't be made public, but is Jaishankar using this as an excuse to hit military targets in Pakistan, which we should have done in the very first wave of attacks, which would have saved aircraft losses.
Isn't Jaishankar's call to appreciate the armed forces an effort to narrow the discourse, avoid discussing the core issues related to Op Sindoor and sidelining the more pressing questions?
If the armed forces were actually given a free hand, we would not be in the state we are in today.
Counter-terrorist operations are continuing in J&K beyond Op Mahadev. The government should have examined the mechanics and consequences of resuming Op Sindoor with similar strikes in Pakistan as done before.
Finally, can India rise above the needless hyperbole?
Witness the noise being made about the UN linking The Resistance Front with Lashkar e Taiba.
But the ground truth is that the world (less Israel), particularly the US and China, do not blame Pakistan for the Pahalgam massacre, and conversely, both are supporting Pakistan.
It is time for the government to wake up and rise above petty politics.
Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd), PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SC is a former Special Forces officer.
He is a third generation army officer and participated in the 1971 India-Pakistan War and in Operation Bluestar.
He commanded a Special Forces Battalion in Sri Lanka, a Brigade on the Siachen Glacier, a Division in Ladakh and a Strike Corps in the South Western Theatre.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com