They called them ‘surgical strikes’, and rightly so. The strikes on seven terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC), by the Indian Army, were carried out with military precision. Just past midnight, as the date changed to September 29, Indian air and ground forces conducted a four hour long operation on the launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), killing 40 terrorists although the number hasn’t yet been confirmed. The launch pads were under surveillance for about a week and after the Uri attack it was imperative that India make a statement, one that Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised would happen.There were no casualties on the Indian side, according to army officials, but there are reports that one jawan was captured by Pakistani forces.
Online though, while most celebrated this act, there were others who felt that ‘war’ wasn’t necessary. Pakistani media accused India and PM Modi in particular of conducting a ‘drama’ to appease the people after there had been public frenzy surrounding the Uri attack. The media even suggested that this frenzy was the work of Indian media. Their military spokesman even denied that the attack took place on the ground and claimed there was just firing, to which the Pakistani army responded. Over in India the mood was far better. Although many indulged in a war of words over this, there hasn’t been any flak from any other countries over this. Someone actually did point out that this was not an all-out attack on Pakistan but just on terror bases about a distance of a few kilometres from the LoC into PoK.
Nevertheless, the media battle rages on and India doesn’t seem content with resting on this attacks. About time too, since the country has usually not been this aggressive when dealing with terror attacks or Pakistan in the past.
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Perfect example of carrot and stick theory.. the Pakistanis showed no consideration to the Indian carrots they had been chewing on. No sane nation wants to go to war. But with patience fast running out it was high time India gave Pakistan the stick. It's the need of the hour, a war on the terrorist harboured by Pakistan. And for all the boasting by Pakistan that it was ready in all respects for any retaliation, it's ironical it was our DGMO who had to inform them about the surgical strikes. Caught napping eh?
Victor Araujo, ship captain
This was a shift from the strategic restraint policy which India has followed with zero results, What we did was not an act of war, but an act of self- defence where we conducted a pre-emptive strike to prevent enemy mercenaries entering India with tacit support from Pakistan. I neither see this as revenge nor an full act of war but hopefully a policy shift where the first battle has been won but the war has only begun. This along with diplomatic actions of isolating Pak like the SAARC episode looks like a good way forward.
Neenad Rajagolkar, entrepreneur
