PAKISTAN may have turned the tables on Narendra Modi’s ill-advised May 2025 military campaign against Pakistan through technology and superior planning but Indian media, both print and electronic, continues to spin webs of intrigues and false victory.
While Indian politicians, military spokespersons and bureaucrats are constrained to parrot the tales of Modi’s hollow claims, there is a whiff of fresh blowing through Bharat.
In the age of digital transparency, India’s youth are leading an unprecedented wave of political awakening.
With Operation Sindoor failing to achieve its intended objectives and the veil lifting on false narratives of victory over Pakistan, young Indians are taking charge, questioning authority and demanding truth over political propaganda.
For years, official narratives have painted a picture of triumph—a strategic masterstroke securing India’s dominance.
But cracks in these claims have become glaringly visible.
Independent investigations, leaked military reports and whistleblower testimonies suggest a hollow victory—one designed more for optics than actual success on the ground.
While mainstream media outlets amplify the official version, alternative news platforms, social media influencers and citizen journalists have mobilized to counter the misinformation.
Young Indians, armed with smartphones and an unrelenting pursuit of truth, are diving into archives, analysing policy decisions and confronting government officials with inconvenient facts.
Initially hailed as a bold military operation, Operation Sindoor was projected as a definitive step toward India’s strategic superiority.
However, mounting evidence reveals discrepancies between the government’s claims and actual results.
Several reports highlight logistical failures, miscalculations in tactical execution and an exaggerated portrayal of success.
Young analysts and political commentators have dissected these inconsistencies, raising questions like: “Was Operation Sindoor truly a success, or was it a politically motivated spectacle?
Did India achieve its objectives, or did it suffer setbacks that were conveniently buried?
How much of the narrative was curated for election gains rather than genuine national security interests?”
These questions, once dismissed as anti-national rhetoric, have now become mainstream discussions—reshaping public perception.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration has been known for strong nationalist rhetoric and grand promises.
However, repeated contradictions between official statements and ground realities are turning supporters into sceptics.
Young Indians, once ardent believers in Modi’s leadership, are reevaluating their stance as they uncover a pattern of exaggerated claims, manipulated statistics and selective storytelling.
With access to global news sources and independent verification mechanisms, today’s youth are no longer relying on state-controlled narratives.
They are asking hard-hitting questions: Was Pakistan truly defeated, or did India’s political machinery manufacture victory claims?
Have previous military operations achieved tangible results, or were they symbolic gestures meant to rally voter sentiment?
Where does India truly stand in geopolitical realities beyond scripted political speeches?
The answers to these questions are fuelling mass movements, social media campaigns and youth-led protests demanding accountability and transparency.
Unlike previous generations, today’s youth wield the power of technology to counter misinformation.
With platforms like Twitter (X), YouTube and independent journalism portals, information dissemination is no longer in the hands of state actors alone.
Hashtags challenging political narratives trend within hours.
Citizen-led fact-checking initiatives debunk state-sponsored propaganda.
Anonymous whistleblowers leak sensitive reports, exposing truths that mainstream media hesitates to touch.
This rapid information exchange is dismantling myths, illusions and false triumphs, making deception harder to sustain.
As young India strikes back, the demand for honest leadership, authentic storytelling and real victories over fabricated ones is growing louder.
The era where political rhetoric could overshadow actual performance is slowly fading.
With truth emerging as the weapon of choice, the nation’s youth are proving that they are not passive observers but active participants in shaping India’s future.
While the political establishment struggles to maintain its grip on controlled narratives, young India is rising, unafraid and ready to expose the facts—no matter how uncomfortable they may be for those in power.
Readers may recall that in the wake of the February 2019 allegedly false flag operation at Pulwama; India’s “surgical strike” at Balakot; subsequent riposte by Pakistan in which one IAF MiG-21 was destroyed and its pilot captured alive, another SU-30 also destroyed with its pilot killed, Narendra Modi had claimed victory.
India falsely claimed that it had killed 350 jihadists and destroyed a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft.
Both lies were nailed by international observers through satellite observations and on ground visits.
Yet Narendra Modi cashed in on his plethora of lies, won the May 2019 elections and using his sweeping victory, had rescinded Article 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution, annexing Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir illegally.
Emboldened by the lack of international criticism, Modi’s repressive legislation of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register for Citizens (NRC) aimed at sidelining Indian Muslims were introduced.
Bold and informed Hindu students of various Indian universities had led demonstrations protesting the draconian legislation.
The protests, which gained momentum in major cities of India, were called the battle for survival—a battle to save “everything good India.
” After Modi’s goons cracked down on the protesting students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), students all over India picked up the gauntlet and posed a major problem for the ruling BJP.
“The Butcher of Gujarat” continues to pretend to be unflappable but the only way Indians themselves can get rid of the millstone around their neck—Narendra Modi and his gruesome brand of extremism—is through their brave and talented youth who can bring down his house of cards built on deceit and guile.
—The writer, Retired Group Captain of PAF, is author of several books on China. (sultanm.hali@gmail.com)
