Pakistan's brutal 'info war' using religion card

One of the basic principles of war science is not to underestimate the enemy, even if you know how weak he is. Military strength alone won't help win a war. Strategy and well-aimed strikes are prime requisites.

Military experts of the time have estimated that Napoleon would not have been defeated at the Battle of Waterloo if it had not rained the day before. The torrential rains began after Napoleon had returned to his tent after watching the battle. When the battle began the next day, the chariots did not roll as expected. The failure of the military campaign resulted in Napoleon's defeat. The tens of thousands of German soldiers sent by Hitler into Russia died not from gunfire but from being crushed by the heavy snowfall, unable to advance.

The course of wars is often determined by factors other than human calculations and capabilities. In 2019, a major war was averted because Pakistan did not retaliate after the Balakot attack. There was no surety that Pakistan would remain idle yet again if avenged for the Pahalgam terrorist attack. It is for the same reason that the High-Level Security Review Meeting advised all states that India should be prepared to deal with any situation. India was studious in the whole business and prepared meticulously to keep no stone unturned.

As part of the preparedness exercise, mock drills were conducted in about 250 districts of the country. This is part of training people to be prepared and carry out rescue operations in the event of a war situation. Mock drills were held at several places in Thiruvananthapuram, including Vizhinjam International Port and Technopark. Necessary arrangements have also been made at hospitals in border districts.

The dissemination of undesirable and anti-national material on media platforms, including social media, must not be allowed to continue under any circumstances. Just the other day, there was fake news that Pakistan had shot down five Indian fighter jets. This was accompanied by footage of fighter jet crashes that occurred years ago.

Some prominent foreign media outlets also initially gave it publicity. It was only when Indian Army spokespersons denied it with facts that many outlets realized the gaffe. Flights being shot down in war is not unusual. Evidence would be aplenty to vindicate the claim. Remnants of the flight would be easy to pick up on camera too. However, nothing was found in this case, but many media outlets compromised their ethos to publish such disinformations with sheer impunity.

Another goal of Pakistan would be to ignite communal tensions in an already religiously volatile India. Therefore, it requires maximum restraint from users on social media to not fall for the ploy. Indian intelligence agencies have received indications that Pakistan is preparing to retaliate by completely closing its airspace following India's retaliation. A war would have serious consequences and a crisis for both countries.