Opinion | India’s Shifting Normal in the Fight Against Pakistan-Backed Terrorism

The fight against terrorism is not simply about military victories. It is about reclaiming the right to live without fear, about asserting the sanctity of national borders, and about dismantling the infrastructure of impunity that has protected terrorists for decades.

The trajectory of India’s national security doctrine has undergone a radical transformation in the last decade. For years, Pakistan-backed terrorism challenged the sovereignty and patience of the Indian state, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir. But from the corridors of power in New Delhi to the bunkers of the armed forces, a new “normal” has emerged — one that does not just defend but retaliates, not just responds but deters, and not just condemns but eliminates. What once passed as routine cross-border provocation has now begun to invite high-stakes consequences. The post-2014 era marks a dramatic departure from passive diplomacy toward aggressive precision and accountability.

Before 2014, India’s response to terrorism originating from Pakistani soil was largely defensive and diplomatic. Despite numerous high-profile attacks—such as the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai carnage, and the daily attrition faced by soldiers and civilians in Jammu and Kashmir—India adhered to a strategy rooted in restraint. The state’s actions were often limited to condemning attacks, supplying dossiers of evidence to Pakistan, and appealing to the international community. Behind this cautious approach lay the fear of escalation, the reality of nuclear parity, and an international system reluctant to endorse military responses. For the ordinary Indian, terrorism was a recurring tragedy met with symbolic outrage and minimal strategic consequence.

The turning point came in 2016. The attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri, which killed 19 soldiers, shattered public patience and demanded a stronger reply. In a bold and unprecedented move, India conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) into Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Special Forces destroyed terror launch pads with surgical precision and returned without casualties. Unlike past actions kept under wraps, this operation was made public. The message was unmistakable: the era of tolerating cross-border attacks without proportionate retaliation was over. The operation recalibrated India’s defense doctrine and signaled to both domestic and international audiences that restraint would no longer be the default.

Three years later, the world witnessed an even more audacious shift. In February 2019, a suicide bombing orchestrated by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed killed over 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama. India’s response was swift and stunning. On February 26, the Indian Air Force launched air strikes deep inside Pakistani territory, targeting a major terror training camp in Balakot. This marked the first airstrike by India inside Pakistan’s mainland since the 1971 war. More than a tactical operation, the Balakot strike was a strategic statement. It demolished Pakistan’s long-standing assumption that its nuclear arsenal would deter India from crossing the Rubicon. India had not only called Pakistan’s bluff but also demonstrated that cross-border terrorism would be met with direct action—irrespective of location.

By 2025, the strategic landscape has further hardened. India has moved beyond symbolic strikes to full-spectrum offensive capability. In a high-precision coordinated military operation, Indian forces targeted and destroyed multiple Pakistani air bases believed to be sheltering terror leadership and supporting launch infrastructure for groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Advanced surveillance, cyber warfare tools, satellite intelligence, and unmanned combat drones were employed to ensure minimal collateral damage while delivering maximum strategic impact. The destruction of terror headquarters in Bahawalpur and Muridke sent a clear and final message to Pakistan’s military-jihadi complex: the cost of proxy war has become unsustainable.

This evolution in India’s strategy reflects not just a military upgrade but a profound psychological and political shift. The Indian public has grown weary of victimhood and is now increasingly aligned with a policy of swift, visible justice. National morale today thrives on a defense doctrine that reflects strength, dignity, and deterrence. The government’s ability to back military actions with clear political resolve and legal justification has added further legitimacy to this new normal.

Internationally, India’s approach has found significant acceptance. Unlike in the past, when Indian retaliation would raise concerns in foreign capitals, the world today views India as a mature democracy with the right to defend itself against terror. Pakistan’s repeated failures to prosecute known terrorists, its grey-listing by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and growing evidence of its state complicity in terrorism have eroded whatever sympathy it once had. Even countries historically close to Islamabad, including many in the Islamic world, are recalibrating their relationships in favor of stronger economic and strategic ties with New Delhi.

At the heart of this transformed posture lies India’s expanding military capability. The induction of modern fighter aircraft like Rafale, expansion of armed drone programs, cyber-defense initiatives, and enhancement of border intelligence have equipped the Indian Armed Forces to move from reactive to preventive strikes. Coupled with strategic alliances and intelligence-sharing agreements with nations like the United States, Israel, and France, India now enjoys a multi-layered security shield that enhances both deterrence and response mechanisms.

Yet this transformation has not emerged in isolation. It reflects a larger civilizational confidence and a leadership willing to align political will with national interest. The previous doctrine of “strategic patience” has given way to “strategic assertion.” The threat of escalation no longer paralyzes policymakers but motivates them to shape the battlefield on their own terms.

The fight against terrorism, especially when sponsored by a hostile neighbor, is not simply about military victories. It is about reclaiming the right to live without fear, about asserting the sanctity of national borders, and about dismantling the infrastructure of impunity that has protected terrorists for decades. India’s shift from restraint to retaliation is not just a change in policy—it is a change in philosophy. It is a declaration that the age of turning the other cheek is over.

Today, Pakistan-backed terrorism no longer enjoys the strategic advantage of surprise or the security of impunity. Every terror act risks triggering a disproportionate response. Every militant safe haven risks being turned into rubble. And every future adventure from across the border risks a retaliation so fierce that it resets the calculus of aggression for good. India’s new normal is no longer about waiting for the next attack. It is about ensuring that there isn’t one.

Author can be reached on syedjahanzeeb2@gmail.com