Even as a ceasefire holds between India and Pakistan after days of rapidly escalating military exchanges, New Delhi has laid down a new red line. Multiple reports have quoted senior government officials saying that going forward, India will treat any instance of terrorism on its soil as an act of war. The implication is clear: if that is indeed India’s policy now, then the country will officially be at war the next time terrorists strike any part of the nation. Coming in the wake of the ceasefire agreement, leaks of this Indian position are clearly meant to signal to Pakistan that unlike in the past, New Delhi will not bother about restraint and proportionality in its military strikes into the western neighbour’s territory. This message carries potency precisely because the Indian armed forces demonstrated last week their superior ability while attacking Pakistani cities and military facilities — the prime minister, too, referred to this point in his address to the nation last night. If formally adopted, this position could serve as a deterrence against adventurism on the part of the Pakistani military and the proxy terrorist groups that it actively controls.
Neither New Delhi nor Islamabad gains from a war that would pose numerous challenges to both nations. Yet, this new red line needs a very clear demarcation on the ground by the government. If a single terrorist tries to attack an Indian military installation in Kashmir, for instance, will India go to war with Pakistan? Over the decades, Pakistan has built an industry of terror that uses Kashmir as an excuse to attack India. Pressure must be sustained on Pakistan so that it shuts down its factories spewing anti-India violence. But even if it were to move in that direction, the change would not be felt immediately. Outfits and individuals that Pakistan has traditionally financed and trained but have since cut loose might also look to spark a war between India and Pakistan by carrying out a terrorist attack. By formally committing to war in response to any terrorist attack, India also loses the element of surprise over how it might choose to react. An India perennially at the edge of war will not be a lucrative investment destination either. In crafting new deterrents against terrorism, India must factor in these risks. War must always be an option. It must not be the only option.