The 10/11 fidayeen attack in Delhi, which tragically claimed 13 lives, was instantly seized upon by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s detractors as a “setback” to India’s security doctrine. But outside the echo chambers of opposition politics, the public mood tells another story. Far from shaking confidence, the incident has reinforced a decade-old reality: India under Narendra Modi is no longer a soft State that absorbs terror blows with silence. It is a nation that responds—swiftly, surgically, and without fear.
Before 2014, terror attacks, bomb blasts, and violent unrest were a grim routine. The mayhem of Mumbai 26/11, stone-pelting in Kashmir, serial blasts in cities across the country—these were grim markers of a State that had lost strategic consistency. But in 2014, Modi’s arrival marked an unequivocal shift. For the first time, a government openly declared a war on terrorism and committed itself to purging the ecosystem that nourished it.
The contrast with past governments is stark. The Terrorist & Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) was repealed in 1995. The Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), enacted in 2002 to counter rising cross-border aggression, was scrapped in 2004 as part of UPA’s vote-bank appeasement. Laws lapsed, but terror flourished. The message to anti-India elements was clear: the Indian State lacked will.
Modi reversed that message—completely.
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which had remained toothless for decades, was strengthened through decisive amendments in 2019. For the first time, individuals—not just organizations—could be declared terrorists. Properties linked to terror funding could be seized. Investigations were streamlined to cut delays. More than 57 individuals now stand designated as terrorists under UAPA, something impossible before 2019. Justice delivery in UAPA cases has accelerated, and the law has become a deterrent, not a symbolic gesture.
Modi’s counter-terror framework is not rhetorical—it is operational and theatre-specific.
In Kashmir, zero tolerance was backed by action, not statements.
• The 2016 surgical strikes shattered Pakistan’s assumption that India would never cross the LoC.
• The 2019 Balakot airstrike—deep inside Pakistani territory—announced the arrival of a “New India,” willing to pursue its tormentors across borders.
• The abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A dismantled the political sanctuary that separatism enjoyed for decades.
The results speak for themselves:
– 10-fold reduction in terror incidents (2010–2023)
– 72% drop in civilian casualties
– 59% fall in security personnel casualties
– Massive decline in cross-border infiltration and ceasefire violations
In short, Kashmir today is safer, more integrated, and more hopeful.
In the Northeast, Modi’s peace-first, development-fast model has delivered unprecedented transformation. Eleven peace agreements have brought 9,000 young men out of militancy. AFSPA has been removed from over 70% of the region. ₹14 lakh crore has been invested in connectivity and infrastructure, linking the region to the national growth grid.
In Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) zones, the “whole-of-government” approach has cut violence by 52%. When education, welfare schemes, and roads reached remote tribal belts, extremists lost their support base. Between UPA (2005–14) and Modi years (2014–23), LWE-related deaths dropped by nearly 70%.
One of the least acknowledged yet most powerful aspects of Modi’s security and development model is its inclusivity. His policies—welfare, digital access, infrastructure, social justice—benefit all Indians, including Muslims, without the optics or politics of appeasement. Whether it is Ujjwala connections, PM Awas, Mudra loans, or direct benefit transfers, data shows significant outreach to minority households. This is not the tokenism of past regimes; it is genuine equality without fear or favour.
Importantly, India’s retaliation to Pakistan-sponsored terror has never devolved into communal targeting at home. Investigations are evidence-driven, not identity-driven. This is why Modi’s approach commands credibility: tough on terror, not on communities.
Despite attacks engineered by Pakistan-based organizations—including this month’s Delhi blast—India’s national confidence remains unshaken. Because this New Bharat does not buckle; it responds. It does not compromise on security for votes; it reinforces deterrence.
Economically too, India marches ahead at a pace unseen in decades—projected at 7% growth this year and 6.5% next year despite global turbulence. A nation growing economically, militarily, and diplomatically strong is naturally a bigger target for those who wish to destabilize it. But under Modi, India meets such provocations with clarity and capability.
For over six decades, India lived with terrorism, separatism, and insurgency as if they were inevitable. Thousands of civilians and soldiers paid the price. That era is gone. In ten years, Modi has built an internal security architecture rooted in strength, consistency, and national resolve. The message to terrorists, their sponsors, and their apologists—foreign and domestic—is unambiguous: India will no longer bend.
Delhi may have been attacked, but India stands stronger than ever.
Modi hai toh mumkin hai.
