A New Red Line: When Terrorism Becomes War

India redefines terrorism from Pakistan as war, marking a bold shift in national security strategy with global and regional implications.

- SIDDHARTHA DAVE

India's national security doctrine has undergone a seismic shift. In a decisive and assertive move, India has made it unequivocally clear that any act of terrorism emanating from across the border—especially from Pakistan—will now be regarded not as a criminal or insurgent act, but as an act of war. This transformation in strategic thought is not just a rhetorical escalation; it marks a tectonic realignment in the way India views and responds to asymmetric warfare. After years of restraint, New Delhi is now asserting a new paradigm: cross-border terrorism will be treated as war, and war will invite consequences.

This policy has not arisen in a vacuum. It is the result of a long and painful history—one that began not with Kargil or Pulwama, but much earlier, in the shadowy terrain of 1947-48. The so-called tribal invasion of Kashmir, orchestrated by Pakistan's military establishment under the guise of tribal insurgents, was the first act of state-sponsored terrorism against India. Disguised as local revolt, it was in fact a calculated campaign to seize territory and sow chaos. That attack set a precedent—a formula of deniable aggression, covert support, and proxy war—that Pakistan has refined over the decades.

From then on, terrorism from across the border became a systematic instrument of state policy. The 1980s and 1990s saw the rise of Pakistan-sponsored insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, with armed groups like Hizbul Mujahideen and later Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed wreaking havoc. The bomb blasts in Mumbai in 1993, the Parliament attack in 2001, the horror of 26/11 in 2008, the Uri base attack in 2016, and the Pulwama suicide bombing in 2019—all of these were not random acts of fanaticism. They were deliberate, planned acts of war. But for decades, India responded with diplomatic notes, evidence dossiers, and appeals to international conscience. That era is now over.