Narratives ad Symbolism Count

What irritates Indian leadership the most is the casual 'firangi (western)' approach to put New Delhi in bracket with Islamabad.
Narendra Modi is no Shehbaz Sharif. Americans know it , but Donald Trump deliberately played the nasty game. His posting on social media was most unbecoming of a global leader.
The office of President of US is not an event management company.
India -- irrespective of whichever party in power - has long resisted third-party mediation on Kashmir or Pakistan-related conflicts. Trumpism has undone all that good efforts. This not only calls for quick introspection.
This calls for a right message in the same coin.
Even towering national heroes have their 'weak moments'. The social media posting from Trump exposed the 'weak' links in New Delhi-Washington ties.
First the Pahalgam terror act. Then India retaliates on May 6-7 post-mid night. Pakistan retaliates this time followed by heavy exchange of fire from both sides and then the sudden ceasefire.
Making it most dramatic was Donald Trump’s posting on the social media. All these have come full circle.
Did Trump spoil the ‘ceasefire fun’ for Team Modi and the BJP? Between foreign secretary Vikram Misri and the US President Trump – we almost had TV-anchor type competition for ‘Breaking News’.
On Saturday evening, the cycle got extended further into a new geometrical dimension. Pakistan violated Ceasefire forcing foreign secretary Misri to jump out of his bed and again address the media (the sleepless lot) saying instructions have been given to the forces to remain vigilant.
Another question too was asked - what are the gains and loses of Operation Sindoor. Did Narendra Modi commit any mistake by accepting J D Vance’s request for a ceasefire?
Some of the answers may remain in the womb of time but the debate will continue.
However, it goes without stating that President Trump has added “problems” for his friend Narendra Modi. The Congress party has already suggested that Modi is ‘tolerating’ Trump too much.
“The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that both countries will meet in a neutral place. Does this mean that the Simla Agreement has been cancelled? The US president is saying that I will mediate in the Kashmir issue. The PM and the BJP must tell why the US is intervening in our internal matters?"
This is just the beginning. Of course, the government may always argue it is Pakistan which has already kept the Simla Agreement in abeyance.
Modi’s biggest challenge in next few months and weeks will be this ‘third party intervention’ angle.
Nehru also faced that. India’s first Prime Minister is still at the receiving end for that role. In August 2019 as the Article 370 was abrogated; BJP MP in Rajya Sabha Subramanian Swamy demanded the ‘withdrawal’ of Jawaharlal Nehru's petition that sought UN intervention in Kashmir. In a tweet, Swamy termed the petition as 'illegal' since it had been filed by Nehru without cabinet approval.
Modi and other BJP leaders do attack Nehru from time to time for taking the Kashmir issue to UN. Hence, it will be more than a bitter pill for Nehru to entertain the idea of Trump as someone to intervene or mediate to resolve the vexed Kashmir issue.
About gains of Operation Sindoor etc;; as of now India has gained something psychological.
Elimination of dreaded terrorists is one and quite a few of them. These terrorists who were eliminated were some of the most high-profile figures within Pakistan-based terror outfits, with strong links to both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Some notable names are - Mudassar Khadian Khas, Hafiz Muhammad Jameel and Mohammad Yusuf Azhar.
The Modi Govt's forces could 'precisely' strike at terrorist headquarters and destroy people and infrastructure both inside Pakistan and the PoK region.
The so-called nuclear threats could not deter India’s determination.
Moreover, the Indus Water Treaty suspension will continue unaffected. There is no obligation for New Delhi to share information with Pakistan and works for multiple old and new water projects on three rivers will start soon.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif shared his agony in his maiden radio broadcast after the conflict on May 10th that international community should take up with India on the water woes.
However, the jingoists and those in the ‘revenge club’ would not be happy. Some people have already started saying that the Prime Minister has blundered and New Delhi only managed to steal defeat from the jaws of victory.

Congress will Oppose Trumpism

The Congress party is waiting in the wings to plunge into an all out attack against the Prime Minister.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said:
“The US Secretary of State says that both countries will meet in a neutral place. Does this mean that the Simla Agreement has been cancelled? The US president is saying that I will mediate in the Kashmir issue. But, Kashmir is an integral part of India .... The Prime Minister and the BJP must tell why the US is intervening in our internal matters".
She also said: "Pakistan is a rogue state and it cannot be trusted.” Pakistan always got itself “involved in anti-India activities” and supporting terrorists, she said.
But the Congress party wants that a parliament session should be called, and no less Modi himself should tell the opposition and the parliament about the entire chain of events.
However, two Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and P Chidambaram have applauded the BJP-led regime.
Justifying ceasefire and 'end' of the conflict as on May 10th; former Home Minister Chidambaram says:
"Prime Minister Modi had intervened during the early days of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and told the President of Russia, Mr Putin, on September 16, 2022, “this is not an era of war”. These words had won Mr Modi warm applause throughout the world; in India, they earned him praise as a statesman and peacemaker".
The war is pitiless, he pointed out. His argument is that any long-term conflict between India and Pakistan will only bring disaster for the world economy and stability.
Kerala’s much popular Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said shortly after announcement of ceasefire on May 10 that: “Pakistan has been taught a lesson. Peace is essential...I am very glad. India never wanted a long-term war. India wanted war to teach terrorists a lesson, and that lesson has been taught...".

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