The New Normal or Modi Normal – Policy to Deal with Terrorism

The New Normal or Modi Normal – Policy to Deal with Terrorism

Much water has flown in the Sindhu and the Ganges ever since the Pahalgam terror attack and shelving of Indus Water Treaty in April, 2025. The Operation Sindoor mounted to avenge the Pahalgam barbarism was halted on May 10 after achieving the objectives of the
Op. Sindoor as claimed by the GOI but vehemently questioned by the opposition.  In this background, India-Pakistan relations have stooped to the lowest rung. There is no hope of any improvement in the years to come given the emerging geo-political situation in South Asia and the role and involvement of China and the USA, the two major powers with their stakes in the region. India is compelled to deal with the challenging situation, a difficult one, obviously. EAM S. Jaishankar while responding to the debate on Operation Sindoor in the parliament the other day registered the new policy to deal with cross border terrorism encouraged and initiated by Pakistan. He termed it New Normal or Modi Normal policy to deal with the challenge -

● One, Terrorists will not be treated as proxies.
● Two, Cross-border terrorism will get an appropriate response.
● Three, Terror and talks are not possible together. There will only be
talks on terror.
● Four, Not yielding to nuclear blackmail.
● And finally, Terror and good neighborliness cannot coexist. Blood and water cannot flow together.

These five point policy, prima facie, seems a good deterrence to meet Pakistan’s nefarious designs to trouble India, But the question is as to how would we proceed to implement it on ground as proof of pudding lies in its eating. Let us examine these points –

Terrorists will not be treated as proxies – It means we will hold responsible the government and authorities including armed forces and intelligence paraphernalia of Pakistan for terror attack supported and afflicted from across the border. It sounds good. But how do we propose to deal with home grown terrorists who are trained, supported and unleashed by their mentors and masters sitting across the border? It is easier said than done. It is clear from the Op. Sandoor when we decided to hit the proxies and not their mentors and masters in Pakistan.

Cross-border terrorism will get an appropriate response – Yes, it should be responded with an exemplary intent to teach them a lesson and not as ‘controlled, restricted, measured, proportionate, restrained, one as was done in the Op. Sandoor. Otherwise, Pakistan will not be deterred from inflicting the low-cost war on us.

Terror and talks are not possible together – Obviously, any meaningful talks and dialogue can happen only in a conducive atmosphere. But there is no point in closing the doors and windows of diplomacy. Of course, we reserve the discretion of picking the subjects and issues of concern and interest to us like POK, Terror, Regional Cooperation, and Confidence Building Measures among others.

Not yielding to nuclear blackmail – In the changing international scenario, these weapons of mass destruction are increasingly becoming symbols of deterrence and, I think, rightly so. Pakistan or anybody else should be mindful of the fact that India is also a nuclear power. PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s assertion in this regard is relevant – ‘ If Pakistan dares to resort to nuclear option, it would not see the light of the next day’ It should be clearly made known that we have ‘credible deterrent’ to safeguard our security and sovereignty.

Blood and water cannot flow together – This is with regard to the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan which was signed in all good faith of friendship and good neighborliness. The changed ground situation has diminished the very rationale of the IWT and as such our national interests do not require these arrangements. It is a good decision to hold the IWT in abeyance and eventually terminate it. GOI should gather political will to implement the decision as there would be considerable pressure from the friends of Pakistan who tend to support Pakistan and hyphenate it with India on account of their own strategic interests.

All said and done, the crux of the matter is that the time has come, perhaps, India should come out of the; Goody-Goody’ phase and assert itself for its due space in the world order starting with our
region – South Asia. The first requisite for this is to stand united internally on the PM Narendra Modi’s dictum of ‘Sab Ka Sath, Sab Ka Vikas, Sab Ka Vishwas’. If we can translate this slogan into ground reality, India would become a power to reckon with. The sooner the better.

Rulata Hai Tera Nazara Ae Hinduston! Mujh Ko
Ke Ibrat Khaiz Hai Tera Fasana Sub Fasanon Mein
(Your spectacle makes me shed tears, O India!
Your tales are admonitory among all the tales)