"WE CAN RESPOND CONVENTIONALLY WITHOUT FEAR OF PAK ESCALATING NUCLEAR WAR"

In a recent interview with Suman K. Jha, Lt Gen (Retd) SYED ATA HASNAIN, former GOC of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, a member of the National Disaster Management Authority, and Chancellor of the Central University of Kashmir, answered a range of questions around Operation Sindoor. Excerpts

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Through Operation Sindoor, India gave a clear, stern message to Pakistan, also to the world, that for every attack on an Indian citizen from across the border, “there will be a befitting response on our terms,” that “India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail,” that India “will not differentiate between the government sponsoring terrorism and the masterminds of terrorism”. Pakistan suffered heavy losses in the operation. Does this ensure that there would be any shift in Pakistan’s stated policy of “bleeding India through a thousand cuts”?

There is a doctrinal change in India’s approach. We have moved on from just a response to an “escalation control response”, which is strong against both terrorist infrastructure and those who are sponsoring terrorism.

(On the second part of the question,) I would say deterrence is something which is never 100 per cent possible. You raise the bar for your adversary by taking a series of measures, which we have taken this time. Pakistan should always feel that India will carry out certain action against it. Deterrence is all about making them think a hundred times before attempting to do something. ...To my mind, Pakistan will get deterred, no doubt, from doing something big. But not from continuing its quest to 'a thousand cuts' on India.

How different was this operationand there is only a 'pause'now-from other previous operations?