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THE NUCLEAR BLUFF
THE WEEK India
|May 25, 2025
India's new doctrine is based on sound homework
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his May 12 speech, officially called Pakistan's nuclear bluff and spelt out the new normal. The 'Modi doctrine' has three specific facets: A terrorist attack on India shall be seen as an act of war; India will not tolerate nuclear blackmail; terror-sponsoring regimes and terrorists shall not be differentiated.
This cannot be just rhetoric. For a start, it follows Operation Sindoor striking close enough to Pakistan's nuclear infrastructure for its DGMO to call his Indian counterpart asking for a ceasefire. The prime minister's words also stand on substantial research and war gaming, following step-by-step progress on an escalation matrix over the years since 2016. From Uri and Balakot to Operation Sindoor, the trend is evident and, with the new doctrine, it can be extrapolated.
Owing to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's yearning for a nuclear bomb, even if it meant the nation went hungry, Pakistan today wields the nuclear bogey even as it begs for alms. But, with the new doctrine, restricted trade, talks and water, it now fails to meet its objectives.
This story is from the May 25, 2025 edition of THE WEEK India.
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