Mark Twain said, "Success is a journey, not a destination. It requires constant effort, vigilance and re-evaluation."After the initial success achieved by the Indian armed forces on account of retaliatory action taken by them under the recently suspended Operation Sindoor with the primary motive of establishing a congenial political environment between India and Pakistan for an everlasting peace paving the way to a conducive military engagement to put an end to terrorist activities and sponsored terrorism, it is expected that the objective of Operation Sindoor would be achieved sooner than later. But the belligerent behaviour being maintained by Pakistani establishment forces the Indian Government and its military to keep up their constant vigil and efforts to prevent any such misadventure of the rouge state of Pakistan and to maintain their continued vigilance without any complacency and any letupand to keep up sustained and continued evaluation of the effectiveness of past strategic foreign policy matters and a realistic assessment of the current political and economic situations and its ongoing impact and an accurate appraisal of the futuristic political, global and national, and anticipated military requirements.
As per the report of U S Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) on 'World Threat Assessment Report' Pakistan treats India as "existential threat" and will continue to pursue its efforts to improve, develop and modernise its military by developing its battlefield armaments including tactical nuclear weapons to offset India's conventional military advantage. The report further states, "Pakistan is modernizing its nuclear arsenal and maintaining the security of its nuclear materials and nuclear command and control. Pakistan almost certainly procures WMD (Weapons of Mass Destructions) applicable goods from foreign suppliers and intermediaries." Besides, it also states, "Pakistan primarily is a recipient of China's economic and military largesse, and Pakistani forces conduct multiple combined military exercises every year with China's PLA, including a new air exercise completed in November 2024. Foreign materials and technology supporting Pakistan's WMD programs are very likely acquired primarily from suppliers in China, and sometimes are transhipped through Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates".
Regarding India, the report enumerates, "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's defence priorities will probably focus on demonstrating global leadership, countering China, and enhancing New Delhi's military power. India views China as its primary adversary and Pakistan more an ancillary security problem to be managed, despite cross-border attacks in mid-May by both India's and Pakistan's militaries". Further "To counter Chinese influence and boost its global leadership role, India is giving priority to advancing its bilateral defense partnerships in the Indian Ocean region through exercises, training, arms sales, and information sharing. India also has increased trilateral engagement in the Indo-Pacific region and actively participates in multilateral fora such as the Quadrilateral, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and ASEAN".
Now that the hostilities have stopped and the mutual engagement to halt the violence appears to be holding, it has raised some pertinent questions. One such question concerns the evolving military doctrines of both India and Pakistan. While a broader conflict was averted, the May 6-10 engagements suggest an intensifying contest not just on the battlefield, but in the realm of military signalling and strategic posturing between these nuclear-armed countries. While Indian actions reflect an apparent shift toward establishing and enforcing a military dominance framework as a regulatory norm to dictate the tempo and terms of engagement to end the terrorist activities and sponsored terrorism and leading towards peace, progress and development, Pakistan response appears seemingly attuned to reassert the Pre-Operation Sindoor status quo.The attitude of Pakistan means that they will certainly utilise the prevailing impasse to re-equip and train their armed forces by procuring WMD (Weapons of Mass Destructions) applicable goods particularly to be used in their air operations and defensefrom foreign suppliers and intermediaries and conducing frequent multiple combined military exercises with China and other friendly Islamic nations. In this connection the stand of Pakistan's old trusted friend and its saviour and arms supplier, America, and its present president, Trump, the guardian angel of democracy and avowed eliminator of terrorism is worth watching to know whether President Trump and his administration practice what they preach with regard to democracy and terrorism.
At this juncture after the controversial and arbitrary self-proclamation made by President Trump for taking credit for the abrupt ceasefireof military engagement of India and Pakistan which has created a heated political discourse in India, the pertinent question is regarding the fate of the Indo-U S relationship coming out of the India-US joint statement made on February 13, 2025 by President Trum and P M Narendra Modi whose preamble states, "The President of the United States of America, The Honourable Donald J. Trump hosted the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi for an Official Working Visit in Washington, DC on February 13, 2025.
2. As the leaders of sovereign and vibrant democracies that value freedom, the rule of law, human rights, and pluralism, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed the strength of the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, anchored in mutual trust, shared interests, goodwill and robust engagement of their citizens.
3. Today, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi launched a new initiative - the "U.S.-India COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century" - to drive transformative change across key pillars of cooperation. Under this initiative, they committed to a results-driven agenda with initial outcomes this year to demonstrate the level of trust for a mutually beneficial partnership". The drive towards US-India commitments to "a results-driven agenda with initial outcomes this year to demonstrate the level of trust for a mutually beneficial partnership" includes mutual understanding in the fields of defense, Trade & Investment, Energy Security, Technology and Innovation, Multi-Lateral Co-operation and People to People Co-operation. In the background of the visible attitude change of President Trump and his administration towards India, whether the envisaged co-operation between India and US will ever be implemented has become a wishful thinking. But if it happens, it will be a great turnaround in the US-India relationship bringing unprecedented mutual benefits for the strongest democracy and the largest democracy of the world.
The strength of any nation and the respect they deserve are determined by its military power and economic power.As regards military power what General V. K. Singh, the former Chief of Staff of Indian Army said is worth recalling. "No country can become strong with borrowed strength. It is important to become self-reliant through indigenous developmental efforts." The government has already initiated steps to augment self-reliant military preparedness through its Atmanirbhar Bharat policy adopted for economic self-sufficiency and national development to face any eventualities in the days to come. At the same timeas per the recent economic survey, India overtakes Japan in 2025 to become to become fourth largest economy with growth driven by services and manufacturing. The inherent resilience power of our economy is the silent force driving our sustained growth, turning challenges into opportunities. Preparedness transforms economic resilience into economic strength.
Unfortunately, for too long, we have focused on our differences - in our politics and backgrounds, in our casts, creeds and beliefs - rather than promoting our unity in diversity and pride that binds us together. Unity is strength when there is teamwork and collaboration by which we can achieve wonderful things and no enemy will be able to defeat us. What is required of our countrymen particularly of our politicians is that we all Indians stand united and work in unison so that we will never be defeated. But will people and the politicians stand united and work in unison for the veritable realisation of the objectives of making Bharat a vibrant and powerful economic nation and one of the foremost military powers?
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