"They have never really been a democracy, Pakistan army benefits when Pakistan gets destroyed": Acharya Prashant

India Gazette

08-05-2025

New Delhi [India], May 8 (ANI): With India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, author and Advaita teacher Acharya Prashant has said that there are times when the right response can be in the form of inflicting damage on someone who is not ready to understand any other language.
In an interview with ANI, he also questioned Pakistan's aggressiveness towards India, saying that 'the (Pakistan) army benefits when Pakistan gets destroyed'.
'There are times when the right response can be in the form of inflicting damage on someone who is not ready to understand any other language...How come a country on the brink of bankruptcy like Pakistan can afford to fight a war in these circumstances, such an expensive war. India is far too big to be engaged in war from the perspective of a smaller country like Pakistan. They are doing it because they are not really a democracy. They have never really been a democracy. The army benefits when Pakistan gets destroyed,' he said.
He underscored that war becomes necessary when all efforts for peace have failed.
'So it is not war that is forbidden--it is bloodlust, ego, and unconsciousness that are. What is forbidden is an ego-driven response. What is forbidden is bloodlust. When you have that emotional, ego-driven frenzy riding your head, then you totally forget what you are doing--to yourself and your nation,' he said.
Acharya Prashant said that war comes at an enormous financial cost, noting that a single advanced fighter jet can cost upwards of Rs 2,500 crore and a day of conventional warfare can cost Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 crore. 'And for a country like Pakistan, whose economy is nearly ten times smaller than India's, the cost will be even more staggering,' he said.
He attributed this irrationality to Pakistan's military establishment. 'Pakistan is not really a democracy. It's the army that calls the shots. And the army benefits when Pakistan gets destroyed, because their very existence is based on enmity with India. That is the twisted logic they operate on.'
Acharya Prashant said Pakistani army thrives on enmity with India to justify its dominance.
He said India is not against people of Pakistan.
'We are up against an army that does not have Pakistan's own interests at heart. Their very identity is built around hostility towards India,' he said.
He said Pakistan cannot afford a war with India.
'Global pressure will build, as conflict here affects international trade and supply lines...But stable peace will remain elusive until the ideological roots of the conflict--particularly distorted interpretations of religion--are addressed...This whole conflict is rooted in a religious misinterpretation--the two-nation theory,' he said.
He said when Pakistan realizes that a war with India is economically unbearable, it will be forced to scale down.
'A nation that truly knows why it exists will not be easily provoked. Pakistan, in its current form, seeks attention through aggression. That's what happens when a country lacks a constructive vision. We must resist being dragged into battles that ultimately serve to distract and divide. Respond when you must, but with 'vivek' (discernment). Fight when you have to, but never let the enemy enter your mind. That is where the real war is won or lost,' he said.
He stressed the need for self-awareness--both in individuals and nations. 'Those who do not know who they are, are most prone to war. The Pakistani army, with nothing meaningful to do, needs violence to feel relevant. Before the Pahalgam attack, nobody was even talking about Pakistan. And now they have your attention,' he said.
Acharya Prashant said India has ambitions that stretch far beyond the region.
'We aim to be a global hub of innovation, education, and human development. Engaging in costly wars only serves the interests of those who wish to slow us down--especially countries like China,' he said.
Answering a query, he said when public debate is dominated by hawks and sensationalism, and when mature, balanced voices are drowned out, 'that is a sign we're losing our spiritual and rational grounding'.
'A democracy must think, must choose wisely. If in the public domain you are finding only hawks, if there are no level-headed voices, that's a red alert. The public is being instigated constantly. Then you should know that we're surrendering our thinking to the enemy,' he said.
He warned that true enemies win 'when they occupy our minds'. 'They want to make you mad. They want you to stop thinking and start reacting.'
India carried out precision strikes on early Wednesday on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupited Jammu and Kashmir in response to Pahalgam terror attack last month. (ANI)