IAF Air Strikes: Questions on War, Peace & Kashmir Flood Twitter
From concerns about war to debates about casualties, Twitter was abuzz with discussions about the IAF air strikes.
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The Indian Air Force struck back at Pakistan after the Pulwama attack on Tuesday, 26 February, and carried out “non-military” and “preemptive” strikes across the LoC, targeting Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps in Pakistan.
As soon as the news hit the media, Twitter buzzed with posts hailing the Indian Air Force. This is “New India,” some said, while others hailed it as a “defining moment.” Hashtags IndiaStrikesBack, SurgicalStrike2 and IndianAirForce were the top trends on Twitter.
Congratulatory Tweets
Journalist Sagarika Ghose said that the strike “speaks volumes for the exceptional courage and gallantry of India’s security forces.”
Tweeple Take Potshots At Pakistan
Many Indian users also took jibes at Pakistan.
‘This Is Just The Beginning’
Several Twitter users said this was just the beginning and there’s more to come for Pakistan.
The Question Of Casualties
Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai tweeted that the number of casualties in the air strikes was being circulated without any attribution or evidence.
Another journalist Piyush Rai tweeted a video, in which the mother of a constable killed in the Pulwama attack talks about wanting proof about casualties of the air strike. “Not even a single terrorist was shown to be dead, nor was there any news on it. I want revenge that I can see on TV. The bodies of our soldiers were shown on TV, why not the bodies of terrorists,” she asked.
‘Should Not Escalate Into War’
Some of Twitter also voiced concerns about people calling for war between India and Pakistan.
The celebrations can wait, brace for retaliation, said one Twitter user.
The time is “critical” for South Asia’s 2 billion people, said another Twitter user, who asked Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to prioritise people over politics.
Voices From Pakistan
It was busy day for Twitterati in Pakistan too. Major General Asif Ghafoor, the director general of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), had put out a tweet claiming there were “no casualties or damage” in the air strikes.
Many Twitter users in Pakistan then questioned the credibility of the strikes.
Some Pakistani Twitter users also said mere condemnation of the incident was not enough and called for a "befitting response” from Islamabad. “Will we respond with tit for tat,” they asked.
Pakistan Govt Faces Flak
Many Pakistani journalists and other personalities criticised the government for not taking action during the air strikes.
Others Call For Peace
Those wanting to react with aggression are clearly oblivious to repercussions, tweeted Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar. Pakistan and India must never fight another war, she said.
Many others echoed her thought, saying that allowing sanity to prevail takes “real courage.”
One Twitter user from Pakistan asked both the countries not to endorse war.
‘Kashmir Will Bear The Brunt Of War’
There were also voices from both India and Pakistan that said Kashmir and Kashmiris will bear the brunt if both the countries go to war.
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