There was a time when Indian media treated the United States like a sacred partner a beacon of democracy, a fellow victim of terrorism, and the ultimate global ally in isolating Pakistan. That era has collapsed. And the proof lies in the meltdown of India’s once loyalist media now turning its guns on Washington for engaging Pakistan.
The clearest example came from Shiv Aroor, one of India’s most recognizable defense journalists and an icon of what many call “Godi Media” a media ecosystem that operates as an extension of state propaganda. In a rare twist, Aroor publicly criticized the U.S. for hosting Pakistan’s military leadership just weeks after an incident that India blames on Pakistan. His tweet didn’t question Pakistan. It questioned America. And that speaks volumes.
This shift is more than a tantrum. It is a moment of reckoning.
For years, Indian journalism was mobilized to support the state’s narrative. Instead of questioning the government, it questioned Pakistan. Instead of reporting facts, it promoted feelings feelings of victimhood, superiority, and grievance. But when even the media begins to lose faith in its own foreign policy direction, the cracks become too big to cover up.
By lashing out at the U.S., Indian media is now eating from the same plate it once worshipped. America, once called a strategic soulmate, is now being accused of double standards. Why? Because it didn’t snub Pakistan. Because it acknowledged Pakistan’s importance. Because it called Pakistan a “key strategic partner.” Because it listened to Pakistan’s voice not India’s volume.
And the outrage didn’t stop at the press. Bollywood actor and frequent Modi critic Prakash Raj delivered a scathing rebuke of the Indian prime minister, calling him “useless, shameless, heartless, and blind.” When the media and entertainment class begin to question the very foundations of the government’s narrative, it signals more than dissatisfaction it signals collapse.
Compare that with Pakistan’s posture. No emotional outbursts. No media rants. No diplomatic cries of betrayal. Pakistan’s military leadership engaged the United States on professional terms. Islamabad didn’t need to shout to be heard. It showed up, spoke facts, and earned respect. In contrast, India is shouting louder than ever and being heard less and less.
This is the death of narrative warfare for India.
The Godi Media machinery that once celebrated every snub to Pakistan is now having an identity crisis. When Washington refuses to play along with Delhi’s script, the same journalists who praised the U.S. now denounce it. The same outlets that championed the Indo U.S. axis now accuse it of hypocrisy.
Pakistan, meanwhile, simply kept its course. It didn’t rely on emotion. It relied on institutions. And institutions don’t tweet. They operate silently, strategically, and effectively.
What India is experiencing today is not diplomatic betrayal. It is the natural outcome of an inflated media bubble colliding with reality. The bubble has burst. The narrative has collapsed. And the Godi Media meltdown is the sound of that crash echoing across Indian newsrooms.
In trying to attack Pakistan, Indian journalism has turned on America.
And in doing so, it has finally exposed the artificial scaffolding on which its credibility stood.
