War is most often not the answer. When it is, it is always the very last resort after all other means to resolve adverse situations have been well and truly exhausted.

Premangshu Ray

A school classmate said that he was all for blowing the terrorists and their supporters “to kingdom come” and advocated that we should “make them remember their grandmothers”. This was part of an ongoing chat in a WhatsApp group and this comment came just two minutes before 6 pm on May 6, before the Indian armed forces carried out strikes on terror establishments in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan in response to the attack at the Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam. The point to be noted is that this was tempered with the statement that it is pertinent to remember Pakistan is a nuclear state and thus the situation should be handled strategically. This, my friend said, is more so as nuclear warheads falling into the hands of non-state actors would be “the ultimate disaster”.

The strike by the Indian armed forces on the nine terror establishments – five in PoK and four in Pakistan – is something we all should support and be proud of. There is no gainsaying that. There can be no case to condone any action by any foreign entity, whether governmental or non-state, that harms India’s interests. Such actions should never be tolerated. The nation must stand as one and support any action taken by the government in response to such attacks and to bring the perpetrators to book. Politics and other differences must be put aside with regard to such action by the government. That is a given.

Very Last Resort

One should, nevertheless, keep in mind that war is horrific. It is most often not the answer. When it is, it is always the very last resort after all other means to resolve adverse situations have been well and truly exhausted. “One of the most horrible features of war is that all the war propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting,” George Orwell wrote. If that does not hit home, a World War II survivor wrote: “If leaders and civilians could see arms and feet blown apart, headless bodies and smell the stench of rotting human flesh – there will be no wars.” Those who call for war or those who give the order for military action leading to war will not suffer the effects of such action. It is the soldiers and the civilians who face the bullets who will bear the cost of war by paying for it with their lives.

Take the case of the Pahalgam attack and the counter strike by India. India did absolutely nothing wrong in carrying out the precision strikes on the five terror hubs in PoK and four in Pakistan. India should not, will not and cannot be expected to sit quietly while it is being attacked. It is also not contested, except by Pakistan, that terrorist activities that take place in Kashmir are linked to our western neighbour.

Several Indirect Costs

However, it should be remembered that Pakistan will use all the means at its disposal to retaliate to any action taken against it by India. Our neighbour has indulged in heavy shelling from across the Line of Control in Poonch, following the precision strikes carried out by India. This has led to about 15 Indians being killed and at least 50 being injured. If war had been declared, the response would likely have been far more intense. The capability of the Indian military to tackle any misadventure by Pakistan is not in doubt, but a significant number of casualties can be expected in the event war does break out.

There are also several indirect costs. People flee their homes when a war breaks out and this results in a humanitarian crisis with long-term social and economic consequences. A war causes intense trauma for people, resulting in mental health issues and long-term psychological distress. There is also widespread destruction. A substantial amount of financial resources is required to rebuild the infrastructure that is destroyed during a war. Such conflicts also lead to disruption in essential services, which in turn result in further loss of life. Enormous financial resources are required for military personnel, equipment, and operations. The disruption in economic activity caused by war also leads to a decline in production and trade. Besides, during war most production is geared to helping the war effort and thus production of goods that may be necessary for others takes a backseat.

The words of the 1970 song by Edwin Starr come to mind:

War, huh, yeah

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing…

War, I despise

‘Cause it means destruction of innocent lives

War means tears to thousands of mother’s eyes

When their sons go off to fight

And lose their lives

Peace out.

The writer is a senior journalist who writes on issues affecting the common man.