New Delhi: In his first national address since the execution of Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi firmly redefined the framework of India’s engagement with Pakistan. The military operation, which targeted terror infrastructure across the border, marked a significant departure from past Indian restraint and has now set what PM Modi described as the “new normal” in bilateral relations.
Directly addressing Pakistan’s longstanding support to terrorism, Modi identified Bahawalpur and Muridke—infamously linked to terror outfits—as “global universities of terror”. He emphasized that India has finally “responded in a language that Pakistan understands.”
Positioning this aggressive posture as India’s fresh strategic doctrine, PM Modi asserted that India would retaliate on its own terms, warning that the country’s responses will be decisive and robust going forward. “India will answer back… nuclear blackmail won’t work. Terror and talks can’t go together and blood and water will not flow together,” he declared in his nationwide address.
This shift reflects a stark contrast to India’s handling of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, when despite overwhelming evidence linking the attacks to Pakistan-based groups, India chose strategic restraint. According to former National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon’s book Choices: Inside the Making of India’s Foreign Policy, military strikes on Lashkar-e-Taiba camps were considered, but eventually ruled out in favor of broader strategic and economic interests. Then External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had publicly stated that “all options remain open,” but decision-makers ultimately judged that restraint offered more long-term advantage.
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However, Operation Sindoor signals a clear break from that precedent. India’s message to Pakistan—and to the international community—is unambiguous: New Delhi will not hesitate to retaliate militarily if provoked, and it will not differentiate between state and non-state actors when responding to cross-border threats.
While PM Modi’s address outlined this assertive stance, it notably omitted any reference to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks regarding the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Trump had claimed that the U.S. pressured both countries to de-escalate by threatening the suspension of trade ties. Modi made no mention of these claims in his speech, focusing instead on India’s independent strategic decisions.
With this hardline approach, PM Modi has not only recalibrated India’s policy on Pakistan but also sent a strong domestic and international message—India will no longer tolerate terrorism under the guise of diplomacy.
