Will Modi wage war again to save his political reputation?
By: Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
Time’s breath has halted, the smell of gunpowder is still present in the air, in India Narendra Modi’s government is under intense public pressure at this time. The recent ceasefire, global isolation, the announcement of ceasefire by American President Donald Trump, the sudden tweet about mediation on Kashmir, and the situation that emerged due to China’s clear support has created an earthquake in Indian politics. Right now words are silent, but eyes are speaking and the question is one: Will Narendra Modi… wage war again?
This question is not merely of politics, this question is of history, blood, border, and ego, this question is of that dream, which someone hid in ashes and someone molded into a spark.
At this moment, the spine of time around Modi has broken, the drums of ceasefire have been struck.
But this peace… is not peace, it is a temporary silence, just like a river halts before a storm and a butcher smiles before sharpening the knife.
Therefore, the question is: Modi, upon whom now even his own media and public are raising questions, can he initiate another war for the sake of his political survival?
In the past, the Modi government has always made its hard stance against Pakistan a symbol of strength. The game of winning elections by using incidents like the Balakot strike, Uri incident, and Pulwama tragedy as a base, has perhaps now become old. In the recent tension, when Pakistan gave an effective response and the Indian narrative was also not accepted at the international level, Narendra Modi faced severe criticism on the internal front.
Modi’s claim was that he had destroyed terrorist camps in Pakistan, but the ground realities were telling something else. Even Indian journalists and former military officers were forced to say: “We were lied to.” In this whole situation, when American President Donald Trump made a post on Twitter about the ceasefire and suddenly offered mediation on Kashmir, India went into shock. And even before that, when the tension was at its peak, Trump had highlighted the Kashmir issue and said that this conflict has been ongoing for fifteen hundred years, whereas India has always said that Kashmir is an “internal matter,” while Pakistan considers it an international dispute. Trump’s statement rejected India’s claim.
And this statement didn’t come randomly, obviously the American administration must have briefed him on this matter, but Trump said everything spontaneously — and India’s entire balance was disturbed. When Donald Trump mentioned Kashmir, cracks appeared in the walls of Delhi. The narrative which India had built over the years crumbled in a moment after Trump’s statement. From Modi’s speech, it seemed he didn’t understand whether to say “Thank you, Mr. Trump” to the President or to ask “Why did you say such a thing?” That’s why silence was chosen.
But that America, with which India had dreamed of friendship — that same America weighed both sides on the same scale, and India felt embarrassed. That Trump — who mentioned Greenland, Gaza, Bulgram, and now Kashmir — perhaps Trump’s words were not just words, but the beginning of a deeper game. Perhaps till now, Indians are thinking: why did Trump bring both countries to the same level? Because Indians consider themselves superior to Pakistan at every level.
In this way, Trump not only exposed the mediation of the ceasefire but also, in his statement, gave equal status to Pakistan — which was contrary to India’s claims. With this, the Indian dream that it is America’s “close ally” collapsed to the ground after Trump’s tweet and statements.
On the other hand, China… which often remains silent
This time, turned silence into a message.
The one who gathered its wounds after 1962,
Now has stood shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan.
After the 1962 war, China learned a lot,
Resolved border disputes with several neighboring countries
So that it could focus on its economic development.
Russia settled matters with all nations
And started CPEC in Pakistan as well.
CPEC with Pakistan made China
A major strategic partner of Pakistan.
This CPEC is not just a road,
It is an ideology.
It is respect for borders.
And the global world saw that
When it comes to dignity, China does not remain silent.
In the recent tensions, China made it clear
That it stands with Pakistan.
China’s this position is a dangerous message for India
That if New Delhi destabilizes the region,
Beijing will not remain silent.
On the other side,
Israel’s defense technology and intelligence
Have penetrated India’s policies.
Pakistan is the common enemy of both.
That is why, under Israel’s shadow,
India has sharpened its swords.
Drones, radars, cyber war—
They got everything from them.
That’s why India’s deep security relations
And supply of modern war equipment
Indicate that if India launches a campaign
To attack nuclear assets,
Then Israel’s technical assistance could be with it.
This is Israel’s dream,
But this act of theirs
Can bring the region to the brink of total destruction.
India’s accusation on Pakistan
Is that it “blackmails” the world in the name of nuclear weapons.
But the truth is
Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine
Is based on “minimum credible deterrence”
Meaning only defense, not aggression.
If India targets nuclear assets,
Then Pakistan’s response will be natural,
And in that, there will be no room for delay.
Pakistan’s nuclear button is not under a finger,
It is under a doctrine.
Therefore, this is not blackmailing—
It is a guarantee of survival.
In any case, Modi now
Stands in the court of the Indian people,
Where he can neither speak nor remain silent.
Whereas Kashmir is that wound
Which India never accepts
And Pakistan never forgets.
In the halls of the United Nations,
Pakistan’s voice has echoed for centuries
That Kashmir is our integral part.
But when, after this war, suddenly
Trump wrote this wound on the global paper,
Then the nation began asking Modi:
What did your most expensive Rafale do?
Why did you do a ceasefire?
Why were we lied to?
The media,
Which till yesterday was clapping for Modi,
Today is saying:
“We were deceived.”
That is why now
Modi’s government is trying
To create a “new normal” with Pakistan
That India is in a state of war,
And any action will take place within that framework.
That is,
The justification for the next clash is already prepared.
History bears witness
That India has often attacked Pakistan
On false pretenses
Whether it was Chittisinghpura, Uri,
Pulwama, or now again Pulwama.
Now in India the question is:
If five or six of our jets have fallen,
Then when will Modi take revenge?
That’s why:
Public anger, political pressure,
Media’s U-turn, and
International humiliation
All these things
Can push Modi toward another attack.
But India has now come to know
That this time Pakistan is not alone.
China, Turkey are at the front,
While Saudi Arabia,
United Arab Emirates,
Russia, and Iran
Stand behind Pakistan.
And now America is playing a new role.
At this time, for Modi,
It is a tough crossroads:
If he remains silent,
Then political death is his fate.
And if he wages war,
Then he will jump into a battlefield
Where China and Pakistan
Stand united before him,
And America’s balance is uncertain.
But Modi’s politics needs war
Because in peace, he has already lost.
Now he is looking for another
Fabricated tragedy like Uri, Pulwama, or Balakot
So that once again
A wave of “nationalism” rises
And BJP’s flags
Can wave across India.
Now Modi is thinking:
How can reputation be saved?
Perhaps another attack?
Perhaps another narrative?
But history writes:
Those rulers who seek to save honor through war
Often…
Can save neither honor,
Nor land.
And then only ashes remain.
No speeches,
No saffron…
Only ashes.
Therefore, this time
It is also a tough test for the global community:
Will they be able to save the region
From a nuclear war,
Or will Modi’s ego
Burn everything to ashes?
