🇮🇳 The Indian Experience: A Theatre of Protection
Bracing for Impact
In the days leading up to the conflict, a tense anticipation gripped the nation. The government initiated "Operation Abhyaas," the largest civil defense drill since 1971, with air-raid sirens and blackout simulations in 244 districts, signaling that a serious escalation was imminent.
A Light Show in the Sky
When Pakistan's retaliatory barrage of over 600 drones and missiles came, civilians in border cities like Amritsar and Jaisalmer witnessed a unique spectacle. Instead of explosions on the ground, they saw "golden streaks across the night sky" and "bright flashes" as India's multi-layered air defense shield came alive, neutralizing threats overhead.
"You tell me one photograph, one image, which shows any damage to any Indian structure, even a glass pane having been broken... The images only showed 13 air bases in Pakistan before and after 10th May."- NSA Ajit Doval
A Surge of Pride and Security
The visible success of the air defense network, powered by indigenous systems like Akashteer, fostered immense public pride and a profound sense of security. The war, for most Indians, was an abstract demonstration of technological prowess that left their cities and bases untouched, reinforcing national confidence.
🇵🇰 The Pakistani Experience: Fire From Above
The Shock of the First Strike
The conflict began for Pakistani civilians with the shock of Indian precision strikes on terror camps deep inside their territory. Eyewitnesses in Muridke, a known terror stronghold, recounted the terrifying experience of drone attacks that left mosques and other structures "crushed". The war was immediately real and devastating.
“At around 12:45 am, one drone came first, followed by three others... they attacked the mosques... everything is crushed.”- Eyewitness in Muridke, Pakistan
Escalation and Shifting Moods
As the conflict escalated, strikes hit military airbases, bringing the reality of war to the doorsteps of the nation's defense symbols. The public mood, initially dismissive, quickly turned to panic and anger on social media as citizens questioned their military's effectiveness.
Social media posts revealed widespread anger and fear as Indian drones penetrated deep into major cities like Lahore and Karachi. Citizens openly questioned the capabilities of their own air defense systems, which had been boasted about by the military.
A Fractured Narrative
The government's official narrative, which downplayed damage and made unsubstantiated claims of downing Indian jets, clashed with the reality of explosions and damage that citizens were witnessing. This disconnect fueled confusion and eroded public trust, even as external threats fostered a fragile, manufactured unity.