Why has India traditionally adopted a defensive policy on Pakistan?

[Norwegian]

Last night I was going through a long history of military conflicts between India and Pakistan. Surprisingly enough, in most conflicts I found India merely defending attacks on its territory from Pakistan:

• In 1947, Indian armed forces were airlifted to Kashmiri capital of Srinagar for defense against Pakistani tribal militants. They were not allowed to land unless Pakistanis hadn't reached the capital first; an outcome of a typical defensive policy.
• In 1965, when Pakistani forces infiltrated J&K during Operation Gibraltar, India chickened out again. Instead of retaliating at Pakistani weak points such as East Pakistan, it opened another war front in Punjab which pakistanis defended vigorously.
• In 1971, India lost its chance to resolve Kashmir dispute with Pakistan, despite gaining total victory in East Pakistan. With Instrument of Surrender, India could have demanded Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in exchange of some 90,000 Pakistani POWs.
• In 1984, we see India for the first time going offensive and taking Siachen Glacier from Pakistan during Operation Meghdoot. The cost of maintaining military presence at such high-altitudes have drained budgets for both nations, yet it has no dispute solving significance for either country.
• In 1999, Pakistani forces infiltrated J&K again to regain its losses from India's Operation Meghdoot. The invaders were driven out and India did nothing to grab further territory from Pakistan. This conflict ended in a stalemate, giving birth to Pakistani wars of attrition against India.
• Since then, there has been two major standoffs in response to terrorist attacks from Pakistan. In both cases, India effectively chickened out after mobilizing its armed forces near the Pakistani borders. These standoffs have cost India billions of dollars, yet they have no conflict resolving effect on Pakistan.

So my question for Indian members of PDF is as simple as this:

• What the heck is wrong with you people? When will you stop behaving like our Palestinian brothers who never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity?
• When will you grow up and act responsibly towards solving the Kashmir dispute by either hook or crook, thus ushering an era of peace and prosperity in the region? Having two nuclear armed states involved in proxy warfare against each other is not exactly solving anything.

 

[kbd-raaf]

The present situation suits India just fine. Pakistan can only prick at India's underbelly whereas India continues towards a high economic growth trajectory. In other news, Pakistan missed it's growth projections...again.

 

[nForce]

@Norwegian
Kashmir issue does not need an immediate solution. Let it hang. The return on investment is too low.
We have far more important things to take care of.

 

[GURU DUTT]

Last night I was going through a long history of military conflicts between India and Pakistan. Surprisingly enough, in most conflicts I found India merely defending attacks on its territory from Pakistan:

• In 1947, Indian armed forces were airlifted to Kashmiri capital of Srinagar for defense against Pakistani tribal militants. They were not allowed to land unless Pakistanis hadn't reached the capital first; an outcome of a typical defensive policy.
• In 1965, when Pakistani forces infiltrated J&K during Operation Gibraltar, India chickened out again. Instead of retaliating at Pakistani weak points such as East Pakistan, it opened another war front in Punjab which pakistanis defended vigorously.
• In 1971, India lost its chance to resolve Kashmir dispute with Pakistan, despite gaining total victory in East Pakistan. With Instrument of Surrender, India could have demanded Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in exchange of some 90,000 Pakistani POWs.
• In 1984, we see India for the first time going offensive and taking Siachen Glacier from Pakistan during Operation Meghdoot. The cost of maintaining military presence at such high-altitudes have drained budgets for both nations, yet it has no dispute solving significance for either country.
• In 1999, Pakistani forces infiltrated J&K again to regain its losses from India's Operation Meghdoot. The invaders were driven out and India did nothing to grab further territory from Pakistan. This conflict ended in a stalemate, giving birth to Pakistani wars of attrition against India.
• Since then, there has been two major standoffs in response to terrorist attacks from Pakistan. In both cases, India effectively chickened out after mobilizing its armed forces near the Pakistani borders. These standoffs have cost India billions of dollars, yet they have no conflict resolving effect on Pakistan.

So my question for Indian members of PDF is as simple as this:

• What the heck is wrong with you people? When will you stop behaving like our Palestinian brothers who never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity?
• When will you grow up and act responsibly towards solving the Kashmir dispute by either hook or crook, thus ushering an era of peace and prosperity in the region? Having two nuclear armed involved in proxy warfare against each other is not exactly solving anything.

simple answer to both your questions is at that time we were not strong enof and had idots like nehru and his socialist freaks in power and pakistan had backing of entire west while we were in cucoon of NAM but now since cold war is over and so are its hangovers and indfian position is changing but dor pakistan its gonna be no free lunches anymore and western support is gone and things will never be the same again sure we lost opportunities in 1948,1965 &1971 but its now 2015 and have a agressive PMO & NSA so dont worry too much .... past is past you cant change it nor can you waste time on what and how things went wrong in past you have to moove on by taking lessons from past mistakes + work for present and invest for a better future

 

[Norwegian]

@Norwegian
Kashmir issue does not need an immediate solution. Let it hang. The return on investment is too low.
We have far more important things to take care of.

Yeah, but the cost of maintaining armed forces in the region, especially at high altitudes is too high. Think about it.

 

[ganesh177]

Grow up and act responsibly ?

Not furnishing a offensive policy for 65 years is not a act of acting responsibly ? what else is expected to be done ?
Btw offence has never been in the blodd of indians, look at history.

 

[Norwegian]

Not furnishing a offensive policy for 65 years is not a act of acting responsibly ?

Sometimes, not taking an offensive approach when it matters lead to prolonged conflict, causing more loss of life and material resources in the long run.

 

[nForce]

Yeah, but the cost of maintaining armed forces in the region, especially at high altitudes is too high. Think about it.

Yeah..that's a valid point.
I personally hate bloated Military expenditures. That money and man-power could have been used in better ways.
But, we don't have a choice here.

 

[GURU DUTT]

Yeah, but the cost of maintaining armed forces in the region, especially at high altitudes is too high. Think about it.

no cost is too high for your national security

we are in position to afford those costs dont worry better change your policy cause we will keep raising the costs for you and drain your scarce and precious recources and increase the void between your economy and owrs to a level that it will become secuidal for your nation to keep pumping your kashmir and anty india baloon

 

[Norwegian]

no cost is too high for your national security

we are in position to afford those costs dont worry better change your policy cause we will keep raising the costs for you and drain your scarce and precious recources and increase the void between your economy and owrs to a level that it will become secuidal for your nation to keep pumping your kashmir and anty india baloon

Hahaha. Our military is quite aware of that old doctrine which led to collapse of Soviet Union. So we will never try to match up with Indian defense spending. There is a reason why we invested so hastily and heavily in developing our nuclear arsenal. Its the only defense against Indian conventional forces when everything fails...

 

[ganesh177]

Sometimes, not taking an offensive approach when it matters lead to prolonged conflict, causing more loss of life and material resources in the long run.

India was basically happy with status quo, hence did not felt the need for offence in peace time.
And in war time, lets agree, fear of nuclear war prohibited india from going for the kill.

 

[Norwegian]

India was basically happy with status quo, hence did not felt the need for offence in peace time.
And in war time, lets agree, fear of nuclear war prohibited india from going for the kill.

Indian standoffs were intended for conventional war but failed short of execution due to Pakistan's first nuclear strike policy...

 

[GURU DUTT]

Indian standoffs were intended for conventional war but failed short of execution due to Pakistan's first nuclear strike policy...

read it again indian no first use policy is against "non neuclear states"

in any war situation a single missile flying towards india means neuclear war as india wont hesitate to press the neuc button or wait for confirmation about the "warhead" in that missile so better pakistan be ready about that fact

 

[Spectre]

Indian standoffs were intended for conventional war but failed short of execution due to Pakistan's first nuclear strike policy...

Nuclear weapons are not Panacea for the all the troubles facing Pakistan. The defense budget (the official one plus pension and salaries) is still disproportionately higher as % of GDP compared to other third world and developing countries which hamper development and progress which leads to dissatisfied population which leads to more military spending to put down the flames. Vicious Circle it is my friend.

Best to put a cap on defense spending as a 1.5% percentage of GDP, focus on development and don't look for shiny new weapons. You can kill all terrorist scums like TTA and Taliban using your current weapons for decades to come.

P.S. Same advice would apply to India

 

[GURU DUTT]

Hahaha. Our military is quite aware of that old doctrine which led to collapse of Soviet Union. So we will never try to match up with Indian defense spending. There is a reason why we invested so hastily and heavily in developing our nuclear arsenal. Its the only defense against Indian conventional forces when everything fails...

are you sure about the fact that pakistani milliatarry doesnt acts in TIT FOR TAT policy regarding conventional forces with india

as for your "ladle neuclear bombs" are u sure that onli your nation is devloping them

also care to tell me do you realli thing your neuclear bombs are gaurding your nation and not the vice versa