NYT says India lost to Pakistan, makes no mention of F-16 downing

Indian media has long bragged about India’s military might and looked down on Pakistan with arrogance whenever tensions spiked between the two countries.

In the latest confrontation that saw both the countries engaged in aerial raids, the Indian media as well as government officials found it hard to believe that Pakistan shot Indian Air Force aircraft over Kashmir and captured its pilot.

India initially claimed the plane was missing and later it had no choice but to concede that the Soviet era MiG-21 was shot down by Pakistan Air Force.

To hide its embarrassment, India claimed it also shot down Pakistani F-16 fighter jet without coming up with solid evidence.

Now that it has become clear that Pakistan shot down Indian warplane and its leader Imran Khan outshone his Indian counterpart Narednra Modi, international media is coming up with reports that may not go down well with India particularly media.

The News York, Times, CNN and some Asian publications have written about the conflict, with the NYT publishing a damning repot on India’s military capabilities.

The paper on March 3 carried a report titled “After India Loses Dogfight to Pakistan, Questions Arise About Its ‘Vintage’ Military” which itself was a charge-sheet against Indian government’s failure to build a modern army.

The report also became cause of embarrassment for Indian media which still has to air its content for the poeple of India.

“It was an inauspicious moment for a military the United States is banking on to help keep an expanding China in check,” the NYT wrote.

“If intense warfare broke out tomorrow, India could supply its troops with only 10 days of ammunition, according to government estimates. And 68 percent of the army’s equipment is so old, it is officially considered “vintage”, it said.

The paper, however, did not mention Indian claim that a Pakistani F-16 aircraft was also shot down in the confrontation.

CNN, however, focused more on India’s potential to become a hired gun for the United States against China.