What does the common Indian feel regarding the cessation of this swift 100-hour military conflict between India and Pakistan where both sides are claiming victory?

There are some obvious victors. This four-day conflict has seen Prime Minister Modi emerge much stronger, assisted ably by the hyper-nationalistic narrative being pummelled by his government for domestic audiences. In Pakistan, his principal antagonist, Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, has had himself promoted to the rank of a Field Marshal, having emerged stronger and more popular after this crisis.

Burnishing his nationalist credentials will definitely help swing the mood in Modi’s favour in the coming state elections, and the recent road show held in Ahmedabad and the BJP-led Tiranga yatras held post the cessation of fighting will go a long way in keeping this fervour alive.

Munir’s promotion, on the other hand, signals a further consolidation of military power in Pakistan. This is bound to adversely impact the functioning of its democratic institutions, which will be further imperilled by a weakened civilian government.

Further consolidation of power in the hands of two ultra-nationalist leaders does not bode well for the future of the subcontinent. For one, Modi’s statement that any future terrorist attack will be met with an `Operation Sindhoor-like response’, will serve to create an atmosphere of permanent instability in the two countries, which is bound to have serious consequences, especially on the economic front. An escalation of conflict will end up inflicting more damage on our urban populations without either side gaining substantially from it.

Asim Munir, son of an imam, is a radical Islamist and does not make any pretensions to hide his dangerous views on how, for Pakistanis, Kashmir remains the `jugular vein’, which must be wrested at any cost. But even if he had not been the army chief, Pakistan has been trying to win over........

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