Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Saturday confirmed that India lost an undisclosed number of fighter jets during the recent Operation Sindoor targeting Pakistan’s military infrastructure and terror bases located in that country. The comments were made during an interview with Bloomberg TV when the CDS, responded to a question about fighter aircraft the country lost during the conflict.
In response, Chauhan said that the number wasn’t really important, but finding out the reasons for the downing and correcting the tactical mistakes were more important. In many ways, the CDS’s comments are not too dissimilar to ones made during a joint briefing when Air Marshal Bharti said: “We are in a combat scenario, losses are a part of combat…” before going on to confirm that all the pilots were accounted for and that the tactical objectives of the combat were achieved.
The entire controversy has stemmed out of Pakistan’s claim that it had downed five Indian fighter jets, a claim that was seemingly verified by some independent intelligence agencies but not confirmed or commented on by India. The loss of jets shouldn’t have been seen as shameful. However, given the BJP’s and the Prime Minister’s unbridled chest-thumping about the operation, confirming the loss of jets has been seen as a matter that punctures the government's thumping narrative.
The loudmouths of social media and the mainstream TV media are now livid that the defence forces have seemingly confirmed the fact that jets were lost not so much because the jets were downed but because it challenges their narrative. The entire episode highlights exactly how thoughtless the present government’s attempts to try and control the narrative.
It bears repeating that war -- even in its limited scale -- is fought at great risk to lives and equipment. It is not fought in TV studios or on social media. The armed forces, while very capable, should not be reduced to being pawns on the chessboard of social media battles or TV studio debates. That the said loudmouths are not denigrating the CDS, calling into question his commitment, his credentials and his allegiance, only speaks of how little these talking heads care about the actual fate and welfare of the defence forces vis-a-vis their own narrative that they seek to double down on.
One must not lose sight of the fact that the Indian Defence Forces are a professional Army, Air Force and Navy. They are not beholden to any one political party or owe any explanations to those shooting their mouths off on TV and social media.
An atmosphere of transparency will always give the impression of a nuclear power that is comfortable in its own skin. Attempting to suppress facts in a bid to control the narrative has simply reduced India to being one that is solely concerned with protecting the political image rather than the actual victory on the battlefield.
The entire episode has now made India look foolish and insecure, not the qualities that should ever be attributed to our armed forces that have a proud history of immense sacrifice for the country.
