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Terrorism is a scourge on humanity. It thrives on misguided notions of revolution, martyrdom, and a romanticised view of violence. The assertion that “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” is a dangerous misnomer true freedom can never be built on fear and bloodshed.
The currency of terrorism is fear. Yet, even in spreading fear, they have failed to instil any sense of pessimism. India is testimony to this fact. Whether it’s 26/11 or the 2001 Parliament attack or the recent Pahal-gam attack, India stands taller, stronger, and more resolute than ever. All peace-loving nations need to come together to eradicate this menace once and for all.
India has shown how this can be done. For decades, we have been a victim of state-sponsored cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan. The recent Pahalgam attack was a brutal and failed attempt to fracture Indian unity. This was evident in the manner in which terrorists inquired about the religion of tourists before killing them. A similar attempt to threaten Indian unity emerged when Pakistan utilised drones and artillery to attack various religious sites belonging to different faiths.
No religion can sanction such dastardly acts. Terrorists strategically invoke religion to justify their barbarism. This misuse of religion is not accidental or impulsive; it’s a carefully crafted strategy to lend false legitimacy to atrocities.
India has made it clear that we have a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. Talks and terrorism cannot go hand-in-hand. Any future dialogue with Pakistan will focus
No religion can sanction such dastardly acts. Terrorists strategically invoke religion to justify their barbarism. This misuse of religion is not accidental or impulsive; it’s a carefully crafted strategy to lend false legitimacy to atrocities
solely on terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Also, if Pakistan is serious, it must hand over UN-designated terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar.
For a long time, we have reacted to terrorist acts while searching for a long-term vision and strategy. Our armed forces were earlier only allowed to engage in defensive action. With Surgical strikes (2016), Balakot strikes (2019), and now Operation Sindoor, India has made a fundamental reappraisal of its policy towards Pakistan-sponsored terrorists.
It’s now our policy that we will proactively eradicate terrorists wherever they are. Any act of terror is now considered an act of war. If there’s a terrorist attack on India, a befitting reply will be given without differentia-ting between the govt sponsoring terrorism and terrorists themselves. If Pakistan is unable to rein in terrorists operating from its soil, it will have to pay the price.
At the 3rd ‘No Money for Terror ministerial conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing in New Delhi, PM Modi has categorically affirmed: “We consider that even a single attack is one too many and even a single life lost is one too many. So, we will not rest till terrorism is uprooted.” With Operation Sindoor, GOI and armed forces demonstrated to the entire world that we are committed to uprooting terrorism. In a ‘focused, measured and non-escalatory operation, we targeted terrorist infra in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir: We know that military action against terrorists is necessary, but not sufficient: It’s the foundation of terrorist infra that needs to be destroyed. Since Pakistan uses terrorism as a tool, India has successfully isolated Pakistan diplomatically and economically We have kept the Indus Water Treaty ‘in abeyance’ until Pakistan credibly renounces its support for cross-border terrorism.
This decision carries significant implications for Pakistan, which relies on the Indus river system for 80% of its 16mn hectare of agricultural land and 93% of its overall water usage, supporting 237mn people and contributing one-fourth of Pakistan’s GDP
Terrorism is not just an Indian problem; it’s a global problem. To effectively dismantle terrorist networks, we need to move beyond piecemeal efforts. This involves five key measures.
• First, define the term ‘terrorism’. There’s no consensus yet on what constitutes terrorism. The closest we have come to defining terrorism is in the Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism in UN, based on an Indian proposal. Semantic issues must not limit the battle against terrorism, we need a widely accepted definition for investigating or prosecuting terrorist acts, and ensuring terrorists’ extradition from abroad.
• Second, we need to freeze finances of not only terrorist organisations but also states sponsoring terrorism. Multilateral agencies and donor countries must recognise that Pakistan has a history of misusing bailout packages and uses debt financing for sponsoring cross border terrorism.
• Hence, Pakistan needs to be again greylisted by FATE, and all funding needs to be cut off till the time Islamabad credibly and irrevocably renounces its terror operations.
• Third, something that was known for a long time but has become more evident is that state and non-state actors are two sides of the same coin in Pakistan. This was apparent recently when designated terrorists were accorded funerals with state honours and which were attended by military officials in uniforms. In Pakistan,
Terrorism is not just an Indian problem; it’s a global problem. To effectively dismantle terrorist networks, we need to move beyond piecemeal efforts. This involves five key measures
there’s a persistent threat that atomic weapons may end up with non-state actors. The international community must acknowledge this serious risk, and Pakistan’s nuclear weapons should be placed under the supervision of International Atomic Energy Agency
• Fourth, there’s a need to call out countries that use surrogates to destabilise their neighbourhood. The scope and severity of reactions to terrorist acts cannot depend on where they occur or the nationality of the victims. When countries pick and choose which acts of terrorism to condemn based on convenience or interests, it weakens the collective response and emboldens perpetrators.
• Fifth, terrorist safe havens in Pakistan have worldwide implications due to both their international reach and their adoption of emerging technologies such as Al, autonomous systems, augmented reality, biotechnology, and nanotechnology This is why global cooperation is essential to address the threat. It’s time for all countries to come together and sign the Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism.
Advocating such a treaty, PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, said at the UN General Assembly, “We must firmly rebuff any ideological, political or religious justification for terrorism.” Quoting Rabindranath Tagore, he went on to say, “From now onward, the anxiety that each country has for its own safety must embrace the welfare of the whole world.” India remains steadfast in its quest to eliminate terrorism in all its manifestations.
We urge all peace-loving nations to join us.
(The writer is Defence Minister, GoI)