Is India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, shifting away from the ideals of its tallest BJP leader of the past, who once led a similar NDA government, and his philosophy of “we can’t change our neighbors” to a new strategic assertion: “change them, if we must”?
This marks a seismic doctrinal shift from the era of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the revered statesman who championed dialogue and diplomacy, even extending a hand of friendship to Pakistan. Vajpayee, though a man of the right, epitomized restraint. He travelled to Lahore, signed accords, and still faced betrayal in the form of Kargil. He believed peace was achievable—if not through transformation, then through coexistence.
Modi’s India is done with illusions. The gloves are off.
Recent developments, including Pakistan’s desperate nuclear sabre-rattling, underscore this shift. Unlike previous Indian administrations that scrambled to de-escalate at the first sign of a nuclear threat, the Modi government is in no hurry. Instead, the Prime Minister has convened high-level meetings with military, intelligence, and diplomatic leadership, signalling that this time, India’s response won’t be merely punitive. It will be strategic, calibrated, and historic. All this, even as Pakistan tries to dominate headlines with a theatrical test-launch of a 450 km-range ballistic missile.
Why the delay in striking back, some ask? Because, for once, New Delhi is not just planning to respond. It is preparing to rewrite the rules of engagement.
In past decades, the script was familiar: Pakistan provokes, India condemns, and the world tells both sides to exercise restraint. Not anymore.
Modi has broken that pattern. In a recent rally in Bihar, he didn’t just warn Pakistan in Hindi—he switched to English, a deliberate message to the international community: “India will take strong action that will make Pakistan feel the pain.” He was echoing the sentiments of a billion Indians. His subsequent engagements with world leaders reinforced the message that terrorism is not just India’s burden—it is humanity’s. And those who wish to eradicate it must stand with India.
Cornered and exposed, Pakistan has fallen back on its tired nuclear threats. Spokespersons talk of “missiles ready, targets locked,” and the proverbial finger on the button. But this isn’t 1998. The world is now armed with real-time satellite intelligence, global surveillance, and missile interception capabilities. Nuclear blackmail has lost its edge. Any real move will be tracked, intercepted, and possibly even pre-empted. Pakistan knows this. Which is why it’s resorting to bluff, bluster, and desperate pleas for international sympathy.
Meanwhile, India is playing a different game—and a bigger one.
Beyond neutralizing terror camps or targeting military installations, analysts believe the Modi government is aiming at something far more fundamental: the very idea of Pakistan. The doctrine of fragmentation is gaining traction. The notion that Sindh, Balochistan, and even parts of Punjab could secede is no longer whispered in security circles—it is openly discussed.
The strategy hinges on exploiting internal fissures. This is evident in the support for revolutionary Balochis and the developments along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, where the Taliban have been targeting Pakistani areas, both reflecting distinct aspirations for nationhood. The unrest in these regions isn’t India’s creation, but India may well choose to harness it.
And then, there’s Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. For the first time since 1947, India’s political and military leadership are speaking of reclaiming it—not as electoral rhetoric, but as a serious strategic objective.
Diplomatically, Pakistan is already on the mat. Isolated, bankrupt, and globally discredited, it is discovering that the old playbook no longer works. India’s diplomatic blitzkrieg is shifting global opinion decisively. From Washington to Paris, New Delhi’s narrative is resonating. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s habitual victim card is drawing less and less sympathy.
Thus far, India under Narendra Modi has chosen not rashness, but resolve. “Modi hai toh mumkin hai” is no longer just a campaign slogan—it is now a geopolitical reality.
Let Pakistan take note:
The era of eternal patience is over.
The age of decisive action has begun. (The author is an Associate Professor in SP college, and her research has been in Defence studies of international Relations, Department of Political Science. OU)
