New Delhi, Mar 2 (UNI) Time has dulled Pakistan's memory in more ways than one. Thus, notwithstanding the claim of enforcing principles of 'Naya Pakistan' - as claimed by its new Prime Minister Imran Khan - Islamabad has not yet given up the old habits of trying to thrive in propaganda.
It is certainly this machination that made authorities in India's western neighbour delay the release of captured Air Force pilot Wing Commander Pilot - as he was 'made to undergo' a video recording wherein he is made to say among other things - the Pakistani Army is "very professional and I am impressed by it".
In the ongoing conflict, such a thing has not happened for the first time - and nor it is going to be the last.
"The government of India is aware of power of deceitful strategies applied by Pakistan. Thus, 'Naya Pakistan' of Imran Khan is no different from the old - where bluff and an attempt to turn crushing defeat into 'wins' used to be the order of the day," a government source told UNI here.
As endorsement to this statement, the Indian Air Force on Friday evening released a 'Diary of Events' talking about the latest conflict and aerial engagement.
"There have been many factually incorrect statements that have been made by Pakistan. The First blatant disinformation was that two IAF aircraft were shot down by Pakistan and three pilots were downed. This figure was later revised downwards to two IAF aircraft and two Pilots. The fact, however, is that Indian Army units had reported sighting two parachutes falling in the POJ&K which were of two F-16 pilots shot down by the IAF MiG-21 Bison," the IAF said.
"Pakistan later in the evening (Feb 27) changed its statement to say that one Indian pilot was in their custody," it says.
According to sources, such a policy has existed among the Pakistani military and even political leadership even in 1960s and 1970s.
A retired Army officer and now a BJP lawmaker says, "This is part of their medieval history legacy. None will question an authority even if it is utterly falsehood. They will not seek reform and instead sit back and endure and look for loopholes and theories to deny the fact".
According to him, this was cited in 1965 war and also in 1971 - when Pakistan Army suffered a crushing defeat and had to part with its eastern front in the name of Bangladesh.
"Archives of media reporting in custody of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan show that grossly exaggerated and false claims of 'military success' were made by the Pakistan military both during 1965 and 1971," the source said.
Even the most 'neutral historians' among Pakistanis, including those settled in the US and European countries, would say that the 1965 Indo-Pak war had 'ended in a stalemate' --- something which is far from truth.
In 1965, he says - there are records to suggest Pakistan resorted to propaganda machination by setting up a so called ‘revolutionary radio’ --- the 'Radio Sada-e-Kashmir'.
The new 'radio station' used to claim of Kashmiri 'revolutionary council' setting up "parallel government in India- administered Kashmir".
There would be also claims that at least crucial bridges on main road linking Jammu with Srinagar and the Kashmir valley have been 'destroyed'.
"Subsequently, Pakistani sponsored propaganda used to be even giving out 'maps' to substantiate the claims. This was old generation video or whatsapp games," the source said.
Hence, many in security establishments in Delhi are not surprised that Wg Cdr Abhinandan was made to go for an artificial video shooting.
"This video of Abhinandan in circulation is not the end of the story. They might have had Wg Cdr Abhinandan sign some blank papers and these may be used and misused in times to come writing all kinds of things about Indian forces and also Pakistan," the source said.
An old timer says in this context, after the 1965 war, the then Field Marshal Ayub Khan continued in power, but his credibility was shaken and this subsequently prompted him to resort to wild campaign against the then 'East Pak' leader Sheikh Mujibar Rahman.
"But the propaganda had failed, when Mujib was charged with high treason, the alienation of Bengalis against western Pak leadership widened and the rest is history," the source said.
Against this backdrop, Indian side says - despite the fact that time span has entered the 21st century, the so called 'virtues of information and technological age' has not entered Pakistani mindset.
"Most Pakistanis have not even heard of the Pak army’s failure to ‘liberate’ Kashmir through ‘Operation Gibraltar’ which was launched in 1965. The Pak operation 'Grand Slam’ also failed. Similarly, in Kargil, they were forced to make retreat, but there is ignorance and blackout simply because these bitter events do not find any mention in the official narrative," says an analyst.
Thus, the implication is Pakistan may easily disown Wg Cdr Shahzaz Ud Din - who was apparently killed by an 'unruly mob' after his F-16 jet fighter crashed on February 27.
If 'lie' is an instrument, Pakistan has won many battles against India. But at the end of the day, Pakistan remains a country where the truth easily gets countered by 'falsehood' and silence.
And that silence is actually a lie.
Here comes the relevance of Air Force officials insisting that while F-16 was downed on February 27, Pakistan is busy denying the obvious.
"There is enough evidence...Pakistan is trying to hide this. The AMRAAM Air to Air Missile was used. Pakistan has only one aircraft that can carry AMRAAM and that is F-16s, they do not have another plane which can have AMRAAM fitted. Parts of AMRAAM were recovered in East of Rajauri within the Indian territory. Therefore, it is a fact F-16 plane was used and it was shot down by IAF MiG-21 Bison," Air Vice Marshal R G Kapoor told reporters.
India can change word meaning: 'Abhinandan' will soon have new undertone: PM
New Delhi, Mar 2 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India is changing fast these days and what the country does is quickly taken note of by the world too.
"India is changing...This country has the strength to change the word meaning in dictionary also.
At one time the meaning of 'Abhinandan' used to be congratulations, now that meaning of "Abhinandan" will also change," Prime Minister said in his address at the Construction Technology India 2019 conference here.
The remarks from Mr Modi came at the fag end of his speech when he urged the real estate industry players to take adequate steps so that not only their respective companies improve, but there is a general improvement in the real sector as a whole.
"This is certain, whatever India will do, the world will take note of it....This country has that strength.
We have to move forward with the self confidence as a courageous - Parakrami - country, and to fulfill our dreams," he said.
The Prime Minister had welcomed the safe return of Wg Cdr Abhinandan on Friday night from Pakistan captivity in his twitter missive.
"Welcome Home Wing Commander Abhinandan," Mr Modi had written.
"The nation is proud of your exemplary courage. Our armed forces are an inspiration for 130 crore Indians," he said.
In his speech, Mr Modi referred about new initiatives taken by his government to bring general improvement in the real estate sector and mentioned about the Real Estate Regulation and Development Act.
He also spoke about the newly introduced changes in the tax rates of GST in the real estate sector.
We have to move forward with the self confidence as a courageous - Parakrami - country, and to fulfill our dreams," he said.
The Prime Minister had welcomed the safe return of Wg Cdr Abhinandan on Friday night from Pakistan captivity in his twitter missive.
"Welcome Home Wing Commander Abhinandan," Mr Modi had written.
"The nation is proud of your exemplary courage. Our armed forces are an inspiration for 130 crore Indians," he said.
In his speech, Mr Modi referred about new initiatives taken by his government to bring general improvement in the real estate sector and mentioned about the Real Estate Regulation and Development Act.
He also spoke about the newly introduced changes in the tax rates of GST in the real estate sector.
Sushma scripts history, quotes Vivekananda: Marks 'end' of a chapter for Pakistan
By Nirendra Dev
Abu Dhabi, Mar 1 (UNI) Some years back BJP patriarch L K Advani had lauded Sushma Swaraj's oratorial genius and said in public speech - the External Affairs Minister has always given him inferiority complex.
On March 1, 2019 - as Ms Swaraj marks a major diplomatic achievement for the country by making her speech at the historic inaugural session - she certainly has given 'inferiority complex' to a galaxy of stalwarts in their heydays -- who have served as Foreign Ministers of India.
Needless to add - her predecessors list include a few giants of our time - Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pranab Mukherjee, I K Gujral, P V Narasimha Rao and of course Pt Jawaharlal Nehru himself.
Waxing eloquently - quoting Sura Al Hujurat, the 49th chapter of the Holy Koran, teachings of Sikhism and Swami Vivekananda - she told the OIC meet that at 50 (years of its foundation), the grouping of 57 Islamic countries - is making a 'new beginning'.
"The choices you make, the direction you set, will have a profound impact on humanity. The OIC has a huge responsibility and a great opportunity to lift humanity to a higher level of peace and prosperity, and to make this planet a better place, not just for your people, but for rest of the world," she said on a day Pakistan - thoroughly exposed and sidelined - decided to stay away from the meet.
The emphasis of a new beginning - may be also linked to 'end' of a phase for Pakistan.
Mark the contrast - in circa while Ms Swaraj, daughter of a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) man from Ambala in Haryana on March 1, 2019 made India proud; in 1969 it was at the instance of Pakistan that invitation extended to then Minister in Indira Gandhi's cabinet Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, was cancelled.
Ahmed, who later became President, was not allowed to attend the Rabat conference even after he arrived in the Moroccan capital.
Today, a rather helpless looking Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in the joint session of parliament, that he had requested them (UAE) to review the decision (on invitation to India). But UAE summarily rejected his plea and said that ''We extended the invitation...it would be hard to retract the invitation".
A milestone has been achieved. Pakistan - said to have been created in the name of religion - was forced to stay away from a formal meeting of foreign ministers of Islamic nation.
Known for her oratorial genius, Ms Swaraj did not stop at that and made absolute use of gift of the gab to point out - "Terrorism and extremism bear different names and labels. It uses diverse causes. But in each case, it is driven by distortion of religion".
This certainly dismantles Pakistan's religion card linking it to terror.
Ms Swaraj also told the gathering: "The fight against terrorism is not a confrontation against any religion".
".....we will work with you to --- counter the language of hate with the message of harmony".
Paying tributes to India's age old diversity and co-existence, Ms Swaraj also took upon herself the role to tell the Islamic world and the global community that notwithstanding a huge number of Muslims - more than 185 million staying in India - "very few Muslims in India have fallen prey to the poisonous propaganda of radical and extremist ideologies".
This is yet another milestone vis-a-vis the communal clamour of Pakistanis.
In a way - India's western neighbour has again come before the mirror today after decades when in 1971 - their eastern wing despite being Muslim populated - thought of walking out of their embrace and Bangladesh was created.
Ms Swaraj did not forget to thank Bangladesh and also Saudi Arabia "and others friends, for their strong support, for hearing India’s voice in OIC meet".
"The OIC members constitute more than one fourth of the members of the United Nations," Ms Swaraj pointed out and stated clearly that this was nearly a quarter of the humanity.
Thus, the OIC is an organisation, that has a "key role in shaping our world", said the External Affairs Minister at a turning phase of world history when there is a growing abhorrence towards many Islamic nations in various quarters.
To avert Pak propaganda, Govt takes firm actions on 'Abhinandan video' on net
New Delhi, Mar 1 (UNI) Smarting under 1999 pressure tactics generated after IC 814 hijack, the government has decided to deal firmly with the public perception and propaganda war vis-a-vis the powerful social network and internet campaign.
Accordingly, the YouTube run by Google was asked to remove around a dozen video links pertaining to Wing Commander Abhinandan.
The government officials in various ministries including Home and IT have since February 27 said that the country is no mood to allow 'the morale and mood' of the nation to be decided by one or two videos.
The refrain has been that - what is at stake is national interests and national security and in no circumstances, Pakistan should be allowed to use one video or two to change the mood of the nation that India can be held hostage by such strategies.
Pakistani had played up the same game using Indian population and a section of media in 1999 after the IC814 was hijacked.
"I appeal to social media players that while this government is in favour of freedom of speech and expression, it is also important that their platforms should not be allowed to be misused," IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here on Thursday evening.
The IT Ministry's decision came close on the heels of directives from the the Union Home Ministry.
"The Indian democracy celebrates freedom of expression and ideas but in the light of the current situation, we expect social media to ensure that their platforms are not abused and country's morale is weakened," Mr Prasad has said.
Sources later said the videos were removed following the government directive.
It was also announced that internet giant Google, which operates Youtube, has a policy to remove such material whenever valid requests and directives come from the government authorities.
Videos of the captured IAF pilot ostensibly released by Pakistani propaganda machinery went viral on February 27 and sought to 'redefine' the entire paradigm of India's war against terror.
Sources said some videos released on social network under 'Hashtags like #BringbackAbhinandan, #SayNoToWar' were more of a 'campaign' seen as intended to weaken India's determined fight against terror.
There were also attempts by a section of foreign media to suggest that captured pilot Abhinandan is at the centre stage of India-Pakistan dispute and the conflict on Jammu and Kashmir.
The real issue as propounded by India is that essentially February 26 strike was targeted with the limited scope of hitting at the terror hubs operated from Pakistan.
The government sources remained firm and it has been made clear that "India is firm" about not falling into Pakistani trap of 1999 when the national mood in India was changed after the hijack of IC814.
Ends
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