What to Read in The Hindu Editorial( Topic and Syllabus wise)

Editorial 1: Sectarian wounds

Context

Syria is in danger of becoming unstable and violent under Islamist control.

Introduction

Last week’s violence in southern Syria, where hundreds of Druze civilians were killed, reflects the country’s deep sectarian tensions. Under the rule of HTS, a former jihadist group, hopes for peace and pluralism have faded. With minorities under attack and external pressures rising, Syria faces another chapter of conflict and instability in its already tragic history.

Rising Violence in Southern Syria

• Last week, hundreds of Druze civilians were killedin southern Syria.
• This shows the ongoing religious and ethnic tensionsin the country.
• Syria is now ruled by HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham), a former al-Qaeda-linked group.
• HTS took power in November 2024, led by Ahmed al Sharaa, once known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.
• He had promised to protect all communities, but violence suggests otherwise.

Fear Among Minorities

• Syria is 80% Sunni Muslim, while minorities include Alawites, Shias, Christians, and Druze.
• After HTS came to power, minority groups grew fearfulof their safety and rights.
• In March, violence erupted in the coastal region, mostly targeting Alawites(the sect of former President Bashar al-Assad).
• Hundreds were killedin days of fighting, carried out by pro-government jihadist militias.
• Four months later, another major attackhappened in Sweida, a Druze-majority area.
• It started as a clash between Druze and Bedouin groups, but worsened when HTS sent in security forces, leading to a massacre.

 Israel’s Involvement and Political Pressure

• After the Sweida incident, Israel bombed Syrian military sitesin Sweida and Damascus.
• Israel claimed to help the Druze, but this is seen as insincere, given its ongoing war in Gaza.
• In the past, Israel targeted Hezbollahand Assad’s army in Syria.
• Now, it fears a strong Syrian militarynear its borders under HTS rule.
• These external attacks and internal unresthave made  Sharaa’s leadership unstable.

Missed Opportunity for Peace

• Syria had a history of political instabilityin the 1950s–60s but gained some stability in the 1970s under Baathist rule.
• Over time, Baathist leadership turned into a family dictatorshipunder Hafez and Bashar al-Assad.
• This led to divisions and civil warin the country.
• Sharaa had a chance to unite the nationby creating a diverse, fair government for Kurds, Druze, Alawites, and Christians.
• Instead, he chose to build a strict Islamic regimein Damascus, making sectarian tensions worse.
• HTS fighters continue to target minorities, risking Syria’s total collapse.
• If Mr. Sharaa doesn’t act soon to control violence and build unity, Syria could fall into deeper chaos.

Conclusion

Unless HTS leader Ahmed al Sharaa takes urgent action to control violence, restore inclusivity, and protect minority rights, Syria risks falling deeper into chaos. The dream of a pluralistic and unified nation may slip away, replaced by sectarian strife and external interference. The country urgently needs leadership, reform, and national consensus to avoid complete disintegration.

 

Editorial 2: ​The reality of the changing dimensions of warfare

Context

It involves not just advanced weapons, but also evolving military tactics, which India needs to pay close attention to.

Introduction

Machiavelli believed that politics is driven only by the harsh truth — the fight for power and survival. Today, we are living in a time when the old rules of international politics are slowly fading away. At the same time, the ways to gain dominance are changing deeply. For today’s global leaders, events like the Peace of Westphalia (1648) and the Congress of Vienna (1814–15) — which shaped the idea of the nation-state — have little value now. In the eyes of many, modern weapons are now the most important tool in global power politics.

Illusion of Peace After World War II and the Rise of New Conflicts

• The year 2025marks 80 years since the end of World War II, a period often seen as one of relative global peace.
• Although there were many smaller warsduring this time, none matched the scale or destruction of World War II.
• For many, the S. victoryin WWII — especially the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki — symbolised the start of a peaceful era.
• Ideas like a “rules-based international order”became popular after the war.
• However, this was more of an illusionthan actual peace — described as a “riddle wrapped in an enigma”.
• A series of smaller but significant wars— in Korea, Vietnam, North Africa, and even parts of Europe — continued to break out.
• These conflicts showed that peace was never fully achieved, only managed.
• British diplomats often advised, “Don’t believe anything unless you check it yourself“, highlighting global uncertainty and mistrust.
• By the 1990s, people started questioning old beliefsabout peace and global order.
• The end of the Cold Warseemed less like a peaceful resolution and more like the beginning of new types of conflicts.
• New conflictsbegan to emerge, shaking the belief that the world had moved beyond war.
• It was becoming clear that the world was entering a new phase of warfare, even though many still refused to admit it.

The impact of 9/11

• A popular article recently discussed the “End of Modernity”and explored today’s global situation in detail.
• It marks 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall, as the start of a new era in global politics.
• Others view September 11, 2001 (9/11)— the Twin Tower attacks — as the true beginning of a new world order.
• While 9/11 did mark a shift, it wasn’t the main turning pointin global conflict patterns.
• The attacks allowed the S. and alliesto justify invasions based on their own moral and political judgments.
• At the time, it was still unclear whether this would fundamentally change warfareor its impact on future generations.
• The true consequencesof these shifts are still emerging, and not fully understood even today.
• To better understand this transformation, one must look back at 1991and Operation Desert Storm.
• That war was the first in modern times to show a dramatic leap in military speed and tactics.
• It introduced a mix of operational, tactical, and strategic elementsunlike earlier wars.
• Desert Storm also showed the use of three-dimensional strikesagainst a selected enemy.
• Only recently have military expertsbegun to realize how transformational this operation was for future warfare.

Ukraine, West Asia and Operation Sindoor

Theme	Explanation
Old Global View (Pre-2022)	The world mainly focused on the U.S.’s unmatched power—economically, politically, and militarily.
New Realisations (Post-2022)	The Russia-Ukraine war (backed by NATO) made global defence experts realise that the nature of war has changed completely.
New Doctrines	Conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia introduced new warfare strategies that are unlike anything seen before.
Changing War Nature	Both the character and methods of warfare are evolving fast; modern wars look very different from those in the past.
Automation & Drones	Automation is now central. Drones are used for surveillance, precision strikes, and can work semi-autonomously using AI-based image recognition and loitering munitions.
India-Pakistan War 2025	The May 2025 conflict showed new battle features—widespread use of fixed-wing drones, loitering munitions, and fighter jets for air superiority.
Modern Weapons Used	Advanced air-to-air missiles, GPS- and laser-guided bombs, and the BrahMos missile were used by India; Pakistan used Chinese PL-15 missiles and Turkish Songar drones.
Beyond Weapons: New Tactics	Modern warfare goes beyond firepower; tactics are shifting from traditional systems to network-centric warfare.
Role of AI & Cyber Warfare	AI and cyber technologies are turning war zones into multi-domain battlefields; conflicts now include digital attacks and autonomous decision-making systems.
Hypersonic Threats	Introduction of hypersonic weapons (faster than Mach-5) has raised the stakes in the global arms race, adding a new layer to future wars.
Future Warfare Outlook	Wars of the future will be digitally controlled, AI-driven, and interconnected. The old idea of winning through brute force is becoming outdated in a world of digital and autonomous combat systems.

India needs to adapt

• The key messageis clear — India is entering a new era of technological warfare.
• India must quickly adaptto match the fast-changing defence environment.
• This shift raises doubts about India’s current military modernisation plans.
• Many existing weapon tendersmay be outdated and need to be reviewed.
• India’s defence strategy may require a full revision and upgrade.
• There is a clear need to rethink future defence procurement
• Chinahas already developed and deployed large numbers of indigenous platforms, like the J-10, J-20, and fifth-generation fighters.
• China is now close to producing a sixth-generation fighter jet.
• India continues to rely on Rafale fighter jets from Franceand limited local production.
• Indigenous missile and aircraft projectsin India are running behind schedule.

Conclusion

What is important is that with the rise of high-altitude, long-endurance, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are key for modern warfare, India must rethink its defence modernisation plans. It is now crucial to diversify India’s military equipment. This directly affects India’s ability to fight future wars, whether with Pakistan, China, or a possible two-front conflict.