Modi is great but still has to learn certain things even faster ! :::::

 Modi has to learn certain things even faster !!

There are certain things at the basic level. The Hindu upbringing or making of India has been on different stages unlike things in the west. 

No amount of English education and all of going techie and launching web sites and online shopping etc will change that. Narendra Modi is also Indian. One hundred per cent desi. There is a tendency in India among national leaders right from Mahatma Gandhi  to constantly look towards west for a feedback. They think some 'reassurance' will come from overseas. 

Possibly, Modi has fallen into that trap. These things come up with age. Jawaharlal Nehru and Gandhi ji accepted partition, that's fact of life.

The perception war is tough. But Modi has the guts.

He will face more challenges from media, from communists and leaders like Rahul Gandhi. It’s all natural. 

Moral of the lesson may be - the Prime Minister should stop trusting Donald Trump too much. These Americans have a track record of destroying friends. Modi should bring his spirit of 2019 when he abrogated Article 370. 

That was a man like decision. Trump's betrayal is a good wake up call. 

Narendra Modi is a quick learner.  He has to learn things now even faster. 

Safeguarding Peace

New Delhi 

The Hindu-Muslim differences are age-old.  It all resulted in partition of mother India in 1947; yet the tussle has remained. Yet another round of armed conflict – less than 100 hours – has ended on May 10th evening. “Comment is free…but facts are sacred,” – legendary C P Scott, then Editor of London-based newspaper ‘The Guardian’ had said these words in 1921.  

Nowhere would this statement would be more relevant than doing a post mortem on military warfare between two countries. The latest India-Pakistan conflict after Pahalgam tragedy also had the vibrant civilisational flavour as terrorists had come to kill ‘Hindus’ during their April 22 misadventure.

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 the 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 called 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.

And hence Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertive speech on May 12th – the maiden address to the nation after Operation Sindoor – is taken by many as Modi’s counter to Donald Trump.

“ I would also like to tell the global community that our stated policy has been: if there are talks with Pakistan, it will be only on terrorism; and if there are talks with Pakistan, it will be only on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK),” the Prime Minister said. 

But that’s one way of looking at things. Otherwise Modi and Donald Trump share good rapport and Indo-US ties have grown robust as well.

 In fact, Pakiistan has been isolated like never before. Key sources in the Govt of India on the condition of anonymity – however – say – “"We had many interactions with diplomats and representatives from many countries. We did not see anyone encouraging Pakistan”. 

One source even claimed: “Even the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), with whom we don’t normally engage, we reached out to some friendly countries and their statements came out only after a few days. It wasn’t their usual kind. 

There was a churning in the group; Pakistan was put to a lot of grief because support from them did not come their way. They (Pakistanis) try to make it seem like the entire Islamic world is in their corner. That wasn’t the case. The Saudis were very empathetic to India". 

But on the other side of the river -- Team Modi may note that Pakistan army did not get extra 'strength’  post-Operation Sindoor. Gen Asim Munir may differ with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif more and more as his grip over things will be questioned. 

Even otherwise Pakistan has a reputation of being too friendly to coups. And another possibility is Pak Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be just an obedient elder brother to the General. In all these conditions; Modi’s challenges will increase manifold.

He has to manage a strong-headed friend called Trump – who will be desperate to ‘intervene’ on Kashmir. You cannot be an emerging country staying aloof from the American President. Therefore, Modi though gave a tough message to Trumpon May 12 address; did not name the Unted States of President Trump himself.

Moreover, the army rule in Islamabad directly or indirectly will only add fighting power of the terror elements. Even as the Operation Sindoor has killed several key terrorist leaders – the chief of sponsors and the philosopher and guide – the Pakistan army is still around. 

Modi will need diplomacy, political acumen and a strong defence system as well as a robust security system at home. India can appreciate it that the Ceasefire is for a civilian government in Islamabad. To an extent it could be for the Pakistan army too. But no ceasefire works for Pakistan-based terrorists. 

Moreover, India’s internal dynamics are very vulnerable and there are enough issues of caste and communal conflicts. Modi is right that way to underline the importance of unity in the country. 

“Our greatest strength is our unity against all forms of terrorism.  This is certainly not the era of war, but this is also not the era of terrorism. Zero tolerance against terrorism is the guarantee for a better world,” he has emphasised. 

Well to an extent we all are seeing what had unfolded earlier too.

The pattern is familiar. The world has watched the same chessboard reset too many times. Terror acts take place killing innocents or security personnel and then India takes a tough stance.

New Delhi ordered surgical strike in 2016 and in 2019 terror hubs were destroyed at Blakot in 2019.  But this time India crossed a barrier of self-restraint.

Indian Prime Minister has pushed the button little harder. 

There is another way of looking at things too. The only missing thing in Operation Sindoor since May 6th late night has been the Engine itself. That's dynamic Narendra Modi. A decisive Prime Minister.

India and the rest of the world were not sure – how much he would stretch things.

Modi has said that Pakistan should not cross the line. In the process - New Delhi has shown it has grown up. It is fed up with Pakistan's nuclear Blackmail. It is fed up with the well known hypocrisy of the Americans. This was actually overdue. 

A speech that was made today (May 12th) should have been perhaps made in 1960 when the Indus Water Treaty was inked or at least many years later when the Simla Agreement was signed in 1972.

This is New India -- unlike the shy and to be fooled around of the 1970s and 1980s -- when students in Assam could paralyse the entire north east. 

In this Naya Bharat -- Modi says:  If Pakistan wants to survive, it will have to destroy its terror infrastructure".