India’s clinical military success with such clarity of purpose, restraint with power, and zero-tolerance for terror could only have come under a leader cast in a different mould – Narendra Modi. For decades, India had the upper hand against Pakistan – militarily, economically, and diplomatically – but lacked the will to use it. Previous prime ministers, particularly from the Congress stable, either blinked or backed down. Terror struck, dossiers were dusted off, and the cycle repeated.
Wasted opportunities
In 1971, we split Pakistan in two. In Kargil, we pushed them back from the heights they had crept into. Yet each time, India chose restraint not as strength, but as a substitute for resolution. It wasn’t moral high ground – it was strategic drift. Whether it was Mumbai 2008 or Pathankot 2016, India responded with statements, not strikes. The global narrative was sympathy, not respect.
Modi delivers
All that changed under Modi. His mantra, ‘terror and talks can’t go hand in hand,’ wasn’t just campaign fodder. It became policy. India built capability quietly. From S-400 air defences to real-time satellite intel, from diplomatic alignment with the US to global confidence in Indian intent was years in the making. When the time came, India didn’t lash out; it hit precisely and legally, without crossing a single international boundary. Terror camps were demolished. Pakistan’s air systems were blinded. Their radar jammers were jammed.
Strategic shift
This was not just a military win; it was a message. For once, Pakistan pleaded for a ceasefire. India didn’t de-escalate under pressure; it paused on its own terms. The world saw not a reckless regional player, but a disciplined power. Washington backed India, not as a favour, but out of respect for clarity and control. No civilian casualties. No diplomatic apologies. Just results.
Strength, not slogans
Earlier governments feared escalation. Modi managed it. Where others watched for global opinion, he shaped it. This new Bharat acts first and explains later – if at all. The rules of engagement have changed. India doesn’t absorb attacks anymore. It answers them.
Only a leader forged in resolve, not in committees, could have pulled this off. Modi didn’t just lead India through this moment. He defined it.
And to those still nostalgic for the old ways of strategic patience: take a good look at Pakistan today – broke, bludgeoned, and begging. Then ask yourself, who would they have preferred in Delhi – Modi or Maun Muni? We all know the answer. So do they.