‘Grave miscalculation’

I would like to add to my previously published letters in this newspaper that India’s much-touted status as a future superpower faltered. It became clear that GDP growth figures and defense budgets mean little without crisis management skills and strategic prudence. Modi’s gamble backfired not just militarily, but economically and politically.

The psychological toll on India was profound. A country that regularly projected power found itself licking wounds, explaining failures, and managing embarrassment. The downing of Rafales — symbolic of India’s air dominance narrative — was especially damaging.

The Indian public, initially fed a diet of patriotic fervor, began asking hard questions: Why were we so ill-prepared? Why did we misread Pakistan? Why did our technology fail? Modi, the self-styled strongman, is now engaged in damage control.

Once boasting of surgical strikes, he now faces accusations of recklessness. His leadership during the crisis is being questioned, not only by the opposition but by his own allies. The BJP’s political capital is eroding as its strategic misadventure unfolds.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025