Comparing 1971 India-Pakistan war & Operation Sindoor

Time of India

13-06-2025

Dr. Prashant Prabhakar Deshpande has post-graduated in Economics with a Gold Medal in 1976 and was awarded a Ph.D in Social Sciences from Nagpur University in 2007.
Introduction
In the aftermath of the Operation Sindoor Congress has been highlighting Pakistan's surrender to India in 1971 Bangladesh war during Smt Indira Gandhi's premiership.
However, according to experts, the exercise is futile. According to them, while both achieved their respective objectives, they differ significantly in context, scale, and impact and should be viewed within their distinct historical and strategic frameworks.
According to experts, the 1971 war was a full-scale military conflict triggered by widespread human rights violations and a massive refugee crisis in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, where the Pakistani army persecuted the Bengali population, forcing nearly 10 million refugees to flee to India. In response, India initially provided humanitarian aid and extended support to the Bengali resistance force, the Mukti Bahini.
When Pakistan launched an attack on both eastern & western fronts, India declared a full-scale war, engaging across land, air, and sea, achieving a decisive victory, leading to the liberation of East Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh, leading to a significant territorial and political shift in South Asia.
According to experts, Operation Sindoor in contrast, was a precision military strike launched to dismantle terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) to avenge the massacre of 26 Indian tourists in J&K's Pahalgam on 22nd of April, 2025 destroying 9 terror hideouts using advanced technology, including drones, satellite imagery, and precision-guided weapons.
The operation was aimed solely at terrorist infrastructure avoiding civilian or military targets, the objective being to curb terrorism and deliver a strong message to Pakistan without escalating into a full-scale war. After Pakistan's retaliatory strikes, however, India responded firmly that culminated into an agreement to hold fire & military action on May 10, 2025.
Comparing 1971 & 2025
According to military experts, comparing the 1971 war with Operation Sindoor is not appropriate, as both had vastly different objectives and contexts.
While the 1971 war resulted in the creation of Bangladesh, Operation Sindoor was a limited but targeted military action aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure.
While the 1971 war reshaped South Asia's political landscape, Operation Sindoor sent a strong message to Pakistan and the terrorist groups it backs, without escalating into a broader conflict.
Achievements of Operation Sindoor
Operation Sindoor reportedly targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK, resulting in the destruction of two terrorist headquarters, reportedly killing several terrorists, including 2 designated by the United Nations and 8 on India's most-wanted list.
Operation Sindoor highlights a shift towards a proactive defence strategy adopted by India, ensuring national security and regional stability. The destruction of terror camps and Pakistani military assets has sent a strong message to adversaries, reinforcing India's commitment to counter-terrorism. India's precision strikes under Operation Sindoor showcased a modern military doctrine targeting terror camps and Pakistani military installations without engaging in prolonged warfare. India's approach focuses on economic dominance, strategic deterrence, and controlled military engagements, underscoring India's long-term vision, ensuring national security without compromising economic growth under the Viksit Bharat Vision. India agreed to the Pakistani DGMO's request to halt firing & military action only after it achieved its objective to destroy terrorist camps, forcing Pakistan's military to plead. India's actions demonstrated its firm stance against terrorism and cross-border aggression. The country demonstrated its military prowess neutralising half a dozen US and China-made fighter jets along with hundreds of Turkish and Chinese drones deployed by Pakistan in addition to destroying 9 terror camps, eliminating 100+ terrorists, including masterminds behind the Kandahar hijack and 26/11 Mumbai attacks & causing significant losses estimated at $10 billion+.
Operation Sindoor demonstrates a decisive shift in India's counter-terrorism strategy, aimed at delivering swift and targeted responses, rather than issuing warnings .
Reasons behind India's agreeing to Pakistan's request to hold fire & military action
According to experts in today's world, military confrontations are not solely about territorial gains but about economic stability, precision strikes, and global influence.
Unlike 1971, when full-fledged warfare was the only viable option, today's geopolitical landscape demands calculated actions that align with economic and strategic priorities, according to them.
A prolonged war with Pakistan would derail India's economic growth, disrupt Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), and slow down job creation, negatively impacting the country's development trajectory.
As global manufacturing shifts away from China, a prolonged conflict could prevent India from emerging as a key manufacturing hub, securing Beijing's economic dominance.
Unlike traditional warfare, modern conflicts focus on precision military operations that weaken adversaries without engaging in prolonged war.
Economically fragile and politically unstable Pakistan has nothing to lose from prolonged military engagements.
However, China and the US Deep State have vested interests in India's prolonged involvement as:
– Pakistan serves as a front for major global powers to sell weapons and destabilize India.
– A long military conflict would weaken India's global position, similar to how the West pushed Russia into a multi-year war with Ukraine.
Opposition's Nefarious design to play politics on Operation Sindoor
Indian opposition parties, including India's grand old party, Indian National Congress, which was in power at the Centre which remained passive after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, are now pushing for war to:
Disrupt the government's economic policies by forcing it into a long military conflict, and; Create public discontent if the government refuses to escalate the war, labelling it as weakness.
These parties do not realise or do not want to realise that they are playing into the hands of India's adversary, Pakistan, which has been since long harbouring terrorists, doing a disservice to the nation, discrediting & demoralising the country's Armed forces.
Epilogue
India's recent military operations highlight a shift towards proactive defence strategies & by destroying terror camps, sends a strong message to adversaries, reinforcing India's commitment to counter-terrorism.
According to experts, while the Shimla Agreement signed after the 1971 war was aimed at diplomatic resolution, India's modern defence approach underscores the necessity of military deterrence in safeguarding national interest, considering it futile to compare 1971 war & Operation Sindoor.
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Views expressed above are the author's own.