The View From India newsletter: Tackling or deterring terror?

CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, 14/05/2025 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nainar Nagenthran (not in picture) along with party cadres takes out a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ following the success of Operation Sindoor in support of Indian Armed Forces held in Chennai on Wednesday. Photo : B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu
| Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B

(This article is part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.)

Nearly a month after the brutal terrorist attack in which 26 men, mostly tourists, were killed in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India’s challenges are clear on the diplomatic and strategic fronts.

In his address to the nation last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said ‘Operation Sindoor’ is still on. India, he underscored, “will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail” while acting against terror that it accuses Pakistan of sponsoring. Mr. Modi has also given the army a free hand in preparing for a robust military response. While many hailed PM Modi’s political resolve, questions over his apparent silence on U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims of averting a nuclear conflict could not be contained, despite denials by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Did Mr. Trump cross a line on the Kashmir issue? Read this explainer by our Diplomatic Affairs Editor Suhasini Haidar. “As India and Pakistan have learned over the decades, not talking [bilaterally] has not resolved the perennial issues between them, and the absence of direct talks often causes a vacuum that other countries seek to fill by offering to mediate,” she writes.

Another important question to ask is whether deterrence has really been ensured. Do listen to G. Sampath’s podcast with strategic and national security affairs expert Sushant Singh, who breaks down ‘Operation Sindoor’ and PM Modi’s three-point doctrine, raising significant questions in the military, geopolitical, and diplomatic domains.

Meanwhile, New Delhi appears focused on its efforts to build global consensus in favour of its fight against terrorism, without internationalising the Kashmir issue. As part of this endeavour, New Delhi has announced seven delegations to canvas support for India in global capitals, in the aftermath of its recent conflict with Pakistan. “The declared intent of these delegations — with representatives from political parties, diplomats and strategic experts — is to demonstrate before the world, the unity and the character of India in the face of sectarian terrorism sponsored by Pakistan,” as The Hindu editorial today notes. The multi-party delegation has revived memories of a similar phase in Indian diplomatic history when a sustained cross-party campaign was carried out to project a “one India” approach to important issues like Kashmir and the communal situation, writes Kallol Bhattacherjee.

No respite in Gaza, Sudan

Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli strike on a tent camp sheltering displaced people, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, May 18, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
| Photo Credit:
HATEM KHALED

While Indo-Pak military tensions witness some tentative respite, the wars in other parts of the world continue to rage, be it in Gaza or Sudan, where millions are staring at starvation.

Israel has launched “extensive” new ground operations in the Gaza Strip while airstrikes in a new offensive killed at least 103 people, including dozens of children, overnight and into Sunday, hospitals and medics said — and forced northern Gaza’s main hospital to close. On Saturday, May 17, 2025, Israel launched the offensive — the largest since it shattered a ceasefire in March — with the aims of seizing territory and displacing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

The death toll has passed 50,000. Global solidarity with Palestine and pressure on Israel are mounting. Tens of thousands of red-clad protesters marched through the Dutch capital on Sunday (May 18, 2025) to demand their government do more to halt Israel’s campaign in Gaza, in what organizers called the country’s biggest demonstration in two decades. . Italy’s government upped its exhortations to Israel to stop deadly military strikes in Gaza, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani saying: “Enough with the attacks.”

Top 5 stories this week:

1. Tackling Pakistan’s proxy wars and the dangers posed by Lashkar-e-Taiba – Stanly Johny reviews the intervention of two writers who analyse Pakistan’s use of several proxies to expand its geopolitical interests abroad.

2. Vikram Misri | Face of counter-attack – Kallol Bhattacherjee writes on how the Indian Foreign Secretary’s adept handling of Operation Sindoor won the praise of colleagues and friends but also exposed him to online trolls

3. Operation Sindoor — a case of doubtful deterrence: India’s new anti-terror doctrine must be subject to parliamentary scrutiny, argues Prasenjit Bose

4. The new normal after Pahalgam, India’s response – India needs to work on its expansive ‘new normal’ in order for it to be a credible deterrent against future terrorist attacks, Rakesh Sood writes

5. Anita Anand | From scholar to diplomat – Canada’s new Foreign Minister brings academic rigour, crisis-tested leadership, and a commitment to inclusive governance to the global stage, writes Purtika Dua.