India's New Normal: A Five-Point Approach to Countering Cross-Border Terrorism

Strategic Insights -

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's statement in Lok Sabha on Monday highlights India's new approach to tackling cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, which includes confining bilateral talks to terrorism and not yielding to nuclear blackmail. This shift is marked by a five-point approach that categorically states that terror and good neighborliness cannot coexist, and blood and water cannot flow together. India's response to the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians, has created a "new normal" for fighting cross-border terrorism, with Operation Sindoor marking a new phase in this endeavor.

Key Takeaways:

  • India's five-point approach to countering cross-border terrorism includes treating terrorists as terrorists, not as proxies, and providing an appropriate response to cross-border terrorism.
  • India will not engage in talks with Pakistan unless it is on the issue of terrorism, and will not yield to nuclear blackmail.
  • The understanding to halt military actions on May 7 was reached between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan, with no role played by US President Donald Trump.
  • India has maintained zero tolerance for terrorism and its right to defend its people against terrorism, despite receiving calls from several countries offering mediation.
  • The government's efforts to get international support for its position led to the recent US designation of The Resistance Front (TRF) as a global terrorist organization.

Statistics:

  • 26 civilians killed in the Pahalgam attack claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a front for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
  • 4 days of hostilities between India and Pakistan that ended with an understanding on May 7.
  • 20+ occasions on which US President Donald Trump claimed to have brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
  • 193 members of the UNcondemned the Pahalgam attack and emphasised the need for accountability and justice for the perpetrators.
  • 1960: The year in which the Indus Waters Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan, which was suspended by India a day after the Pahalgam attack.
  • 1963: The year in which Pakistan ceded the Shaksgam Valley to China.
  • 1966: The year in which China began supplying military equipment to Pakistan.
  • 1976: The year in which India and Pakistan began nuclear collaboration.

Sources:

  • External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's statement in Lok Sabha on July 28.
  • Hindustan Times, "India's military response to Pahalgam attack creates 'new normal' for fighting cross-border terrorism, says S Jaishankar"