In the wake of Operation Sindoor, political and strategic discourse has drawn renewed attention to a defining episode in India’s military history—Operation Brasstacks (1986–87). The comparison, sharpened by BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya, frames Sindoor as a bold assertion of military will in contrast to what he described as “strategic retreat” under Rajiv Gandhi during the Brasstacks crisis.
According to Malviya, Brasstacks—India’s most ambitious military mobilisation at the time—ended not in strategic dominance, but in retreat after a diplomatic intervention by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, allegedly at the behest of Pakistan’s General Zia-ul-Haq. “India blinked, and Pakistan took note,” he remarked, underscoring what he views as a pivotal moment of lost deterrence.
From Military Display to Strategic Hesitation
Conceived by then Army Chief General K. Sundarji, Operation Brasstacks was a bold attempt to simulate full-spectrum warfare capabilities, including mechanised divisions, amphibious landings, and even integration of tactical nuclear warfare scenarios. Nearly half a million troops were deployed across Rajasthan, supported by the Air Force and Navy in an exercise that far exceeded the scale of typical manoeuvres.
Despite official claims that the exercise was routine, the magnitude, timing, and proximity to Pakistan’s Sindh province triggered deep concern in Islamabad. Pakistan’s military intelligence interpreted the mobilisation as a prelude to war, exacerbated by intercepted communications suggesting a potential strike through the Bahawalpur–Khairpur corridor.
The Escalation That Nearly Was
Phase IV of Brasstacks saw provocative forward deployment of Indian troops and an offensive posture by the Air Force and Navy. Pakistan responded by activating satellite airbases, evacuating civilians, and preparing defensive positions across a 400-kilometre front. The brinkmanship brought both nations to the edge of open conflict.
Lieutenant General P.N. Hoon, then Commander-in-Chief of Western Command, later revealed: “The Army was fully prepared for a limited war. We had operational plans. The political leadership had been briefed.”
Yet, as tensions peaked, diplomacy intervened. On January 22, 1987, following a direct phone call from Mubarak—allegedly relaying Zia's concerns—Rajiv Gandhi ordered a de-escalation. Within 24 hours, troop movements were halted. No reciprocal gesture followed from Pakistan.
Internal Compulsions and External Restraint
India’s military posturing coincided with volatile domestic unrest in Punjab, where Operation Black Thunder I had just been executed following the Khalistan declaration. The government was managing a delicate balance—avoiding escalation on the Pakistan front while containing internal separatist threats.
Delhi’s leadership, critics argue, succumbed to pressure, opting for diplomatic optics over military resolution. “Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed military advantage to preserve his image as a peacemaker,” Malviya contended.
This view is supported by scholars such as Ravi Rikhye, who in The War That Never Was asserted that Brasstacks was a calculated coercive exercise to curb Pakistan’s backing of insurgencies. “The plan failed not due to military limitations, but because political will collapsed,” Rikhye wrote.
Lieutenant General Vijay Oberoi, a key planner of the exercise, echoed this in a 2018 retrospective: “Brasstacks was a full-spectrum war rehearsal. The Prime Minister was briefed. The decision to stand down was political.”
Diplomatic Fallout and Strategic Consequences
While the crisis was defused without conflict, its aftermath laid the foundation for Pakistan’s asymmetric warfare strategy. In 1988, Operation Tupac was launched, initiating a long-term proxy war in Kashmir through the arming and training of insurgents. The insurgency exploded following the controversial 1987 elections in Jammu and Kashmir, and India has since maintained a massive military presence in the region.
The 1988 India-Pakistan nuclear agreement, which emerged from the crisis, established transparency norms—but critics argue it granted Pakistan symbolic parity without concrete concessions.
Malviya’s Political Reframing
In a sharply worded tweet, Malviya stated: “Operation Brasstacks, though brilliantly executed by General Sundarji, was derailed by a single phone call—because Rajiv Gandhi blinked.” He further criticised subsequent Congress decisions, including the 1995 Jawaharlal Nehru Award to Mubarak, as indicative of a legacy of misplaced diplomatic outreach.
He concluded: “Before lecturing the nation on military operations, Rahul Gandhi should revisit his family’s track record of compromising India’s strategic interests.”
Congress's Counterpoint
Congress leaders defend the decision as an act of prudence. They maintain that the absence of bloodshed and the eventual diplomatic protocol signed in 1991—which mandated mutual notification of military exercises—represented mature statesmanship in a nuclearising region. They also point to a lack of communication protocols at the time and the genuine threat of miscalculation.
However, critics remain unconvinced. They cite Indira Gandhi’s 1974 offer to share nuclear technology with Pakistan as further evidence of a pattern of over-accommodation, with little strategic return.
Sindoor: A Doctrinal Pivot
In contrast, Operation Sindoor is being projected as a break from this legacy—a moment of decisive military retaliation rather than strategic hesitation. Where Brasstacks ended with a cricket match in Jaipur attended by Zia, Sindoor featured calibrated airstrikes and visible assertion of India’s military doctrine.
Conclusion: Lessons from the Past, Signals for the Future
Operation Brasstacks stands today as more than just a historical footnote. It is a complex case study in civil-military relations, strategic decision-making, and the costs of blinking in the face of provocation. As India charts its path in an increasingly volatile regional environment, the echoes of 1987 serve as both cautionary tale and benchmark.
Operation Sindoor may mark the beginning of a new doctrine—one where India, when compelled, no longer pauses at the edge.
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