A year after their brief war in 2025, both India and Pakistan are revving up their war frenzy. The drums of victory are being beaten with nationalistic zeal on both sides. The two nations teem with jingoism, a sense of national pride and fervor, and projections of military might.

Interestingly, both sides are celebrating what they claim as a decisive victory. In Pakistan, Marka-e-Haq (Battle of Truth) commemorations are in full swing, with the government designating May 10 as the “Day of the Battle of Truth” as a national holiday. Ceremonies at military headquarters honor the armed forces’ “courage and competence.” TV channels broadcast marathon transmissions, while nationwide events—rallies, parades, concerts, and wreath-laying ceremonies—pay tribute to military leadership and the success of Operation Solid Wall.

In India, too, the BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in full celebratory mode. On the first anniversary, Modi changed his profile picture on X to the official logo of Operation Sindoor—named after a traditional vermillion dye—and urged every Indian to do the same. He posted that India’s armed forces displayed “unparalleled courage, precision, and resolve” and gave a “fitting response” to the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack. Several senior ministers and BJP leaders followed suit. Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti addressed press conferences on the anniversary, claiming the destruction of 13 Pakistani aircraft and strikes on 11 airfields, while asserting that India’s objectives were fully achieved.

Whoever the tactical........

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