PM must break silence on note ban
Just at the time when criticism is flowing in from all corners about the currency ban that gave a massive jolt to Indian economy, Finance minister Arun Jaitley is attempting to escape from the responsibility that he should own in this. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had clearly said the intention of note ban was to unearth the black money that the illegal hoarders had in their possession. But as per the report given by the RBI, black money has not been unearthed at all through this. More than 99% currency notes have been returned into banking system.
PM Modi who addressed the nation to announce the note ban in a rather melodramatic manner, will now have to come before the same people to explain the pros and cons of his decision. Instead of explaining this, Modi is escaping from his accountability to the public on this topic. Though the finance minister did give an explanation, his words do not answer the question that’s looming large. Jaitley has come up with a whole new reasoning to demonetization. He says it was done to make sure more people came under tax bracket making India a tax-adhering nation. Then does that mean there is no black money in the country? Where did the ‘assumed’ black money go? Can this failure not be attributed to the government? PM Modi had said terrorism in Kashmir would come down with note ban, but the situation is now totally contrary to this. Extremists are now assaulting the police and army more than ever before.
Modi then jumped another goal post that digitalization of cash was the main intention behind demonetization. The app ‘BHIM’ released by Modi for this purpose has fallen flat. Does increased ‘tax collection’ mean you tie the middle class down to cough up taxes? Banks are literally fleecing the middle class with various charges now to make good for their loss suffered through this phase. Banks are trying to stay afloat by making people pay for the losses the former have incurred through non-refundable loans. Those who robbed thousands of crores from banks are leading luxurious lives abroad. Banks are now running on the bulk of ‘penalty’ charges they have collected from the poor and middle class. Is this is progress, then why are taxes being collected? A nation is its people. If financial institutions play around with their hard earned money to show their ‘collections’ how can this even be seen as progress?
Note ban dealt a heavy blow to poor and middle class people. Small and medium industries could never recover from that assault. Agriculture sector suffered massive losses too. Economic health of the nation was damaged. People could never confidently spend money like they did before. Small traders were left without help. More than 60% of this country lives through small traders. Note ban literally stifled any possibility of business in small shops. Super bazaars reaped the benefits of this. This made the rich richer and the poor poorer. Ones who bought rice in small shops were forced to get a card and buy rice at big malls.
Note ban divided the country into two nations, between the haves and have nots. The ones that could reap the benefits of ‘digital india’ thrived and the ones that couldn’t cross over this divide, fell out of Modi’s dream of ‘development’. Those who possessed costly mobiles and had pan cards and other bank cards had their lives secured through this divide of note ban that was created. Those who didn’t know any of this, were left behind. The GDP of India fell owing to less participation from grassroots level. Rupee has been losing a battle against dollar at an alarming pace. There was an unprecedented increase in unemployment. Violence increased after note ban. Jobless youths donned the guise of Gau Rakshaks and moral police. Malnutrition and poverty increased in rural areas.
The image of India was lost at global level. India entered a very precarious phase after note ban. Having ignored all this, Jaitley is speaking about improved tax collection to indicate a finance minister could well be a dangerous cop who ensures people pay their taxes. More than anything else, Modi should have the courage to speak of consequences of note ban before people. Where did the black money, as claimed by them, go? Why were the officers not able to track it? People lost lives owing to note ban but mega corporate companies have reaped its benefits. What was the benefit that was passed on to common people? Why are the oil rates continuously increasing? What are the ways to boost the affected middle level and rural industries? How can general people improve their financial stability after this?
Modi owes the people of this nation an answer as to what losses they suffered owing to note ban. This cannot be dodged by arresting activists who question the government. A broken mirror turns into multiple mirrors. Modi should never forget this truth.
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Iran Shocks World, Hits F-35
America's most advanced fighter jet, the F-35, was never hit in combat — not once, in its entire history. Countries spend over ₹900 crore to buy just one of these aircraft. The whole world believed this plane was untouchable. Then, on March 19, something happened over Iranian skies that shocked military experts across the globe.
Iran hit it. And nobody saw it coming.
America Was Too Confident — That Was the Problem
Before understanding how this happened, you need to understand what America believed going into this. The US had been bombing Iran since February 28. After roughly 20 days of heavy strikes, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Iran's air defences were completely destroyed — finished, flattened, gone.
US President Donald Trump even said proudly, "We can fly wherever we want, and no one is even firing at us."
Based on this confidence, America flew its prized F-35 deep into the heart of central Iran. That alone tells you how sure they were. You don't send your most expensive jet into enemy territory unless you believe there is zero danger.
But Iran, a country under heavy international sanctions, still had something left. And it used that something extremely well.
So How Did Iran Actually Hit a Stealth Jet?
Here is where it gets interesting for regular people to understand.
We have all heard the word "stealth" — it sounds like the plane is completely invisible. But India Today explained that stealth only means it is hard to detect by radar. Hard — not impossible. It does not mean the aircraft is totally invisible.
Think of it this way. Even if you cannot see someone in a dark room, you can still feel their body heat if they stand close enough. That is almost exactly what happened here.
The F-35's engines produce enormous heat. Iran's weapon likely used an infrared sensor — basically a heat-seeking system — to detect that heat, lock onto it, and follow the jet. No radar needed. The F-35's biggest advantage, its radar-invisibility, simply did not matter.
The weapon Iran likely used was the 358 missile — also called SA-67 — which is a loitering munition. Think of it as a slow, intelligent drone that flies around patiently waiting, scanning the sky for heat signals from aircraft engines. Once it finds one, it chases it down. Iran has used this exact weapon before against American MQ-9 Reaper drones — and since this war started, America has already lost more than 12 of those drones.
This Has Happened Before — In 1999
This is not the first time America's "invisible" aircraft was brought down by a smarter enemy.
In 1999, during NATO's bombing campaign over Serbia, the US flew its F-117 Nighthawk — which was then considered the world's most advanced stealth aircraft. Serbian forces shot it down using an old Soviet missile system from the 1960s. Not with new technology — with clever thinking. They briefly switched on their radar, caught the jet at the right moment when its stealth was less effective, and fired.
The lesson both then and now is the same — no aircraft is completely invincible. Smart tactics can beat expensive technology.
Why This Changes Everything in the Iran War
Here is the bigger picture that really matters.
America and Israel had told the world that Iran's air defences were basically dead. Based on that, they sent massive B-1 and B-2 bombers — aircraft that are normally used only when a country is 100% sure it controls the enemy's sky. That is a huge military risk to take.
But if an F-35 — the most advanced aircraft in the sky — can still be hit, then Iran's defences are clearly not dead. Some pieces are still very much alive and working.
This means the US and Israel may now be forced to completely rethink their war plan. Their jets may need to fly higher, use longer-range weapons, and spend far more time and money finding where Iran's remaining defence systems are hiding underground.
Around 15 countries use the F-35 today. Even India was offered this jet by Trump during PM Modi's White House visit — though India has not shown interest so far.
Geopolitical expert Adam summed it up simply — a heavily sanctioned country just tracked, chased, and hit the world's most expensive stealth jet. That is not a small thing.
Sometimes, one moment changes everything.
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or position of the publication, its editors, or its management. The publication is not responsible for the accuracy of any information, statements, or opinions presented in this piece.
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