In a decisive policy reversal, the Government of India has announced that any subsequent terrorist attack on Indian territory will be met with full-fledged military retaliation, equating such assaults with acts of war. The resolution, signaling a marked departure from New Delhi’s previous approach of categorizing cross-border terrorism as a criminal or diplomatic issue, underscores India’s determination to deter future aggression.
The new doctrine was endorsed at an extraordinary meeting convened at the Prime Minister’s residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. High-ranking officials present included Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, the commanders of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, along with senior representatives from the intelligence community.
According to inside sources, the shift follows repeated provocations attributed to Pakistan-based groups that New Delhi accuses of perpetuating a prolonged “proxy war” aimed at destabilizing India. Officials alluded to a decades-long strategy of “bleeding India with a thousand cuts” — a reference to skirmishes and terror incidents dating back to the aftermath of the 1971 conflict that precipitated Bangladesh’s independence.
While past administrations have attempted diplomatic channels and limited cross-border strikes—most notably following the Uri attack in 2016 and the Pulwama bombing in 2019—these measures, government insiders say, have failed to dissuade the perpetrators. “We can no longer treat terrorism as a law-and-order challenge alone,” one official remarked. “It is a direct affront to our sovereignty and will be confronted as such.”
The government source emphasized that this robust stance aims to send an unmistakable signal to both state patrons and non-state militants that India will respond to any terror incident with proportionate military force. Although Pakistan maintains that all such violence is carried out by rogue elements beyond its control, New Delhi insists that Islamabad’s failure to rein in these groups implicates it in the ongoing campaign of hostility.
Analysts suggest that this policy announcement could raise tensions along the Line of Control and potentially alter the strategic calculus in South Asia. With the new directive in place, India appears prepared to elevate any future counterterrorism response from covert operations or targeted airstrikes to a broader military engagement, reflecting an era-defining pivot in its national security posture.
