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<p class="" data-start="253" data-end="638"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">India&rsquo;s strategic culture is deeply rooted in the nation&rsquo;s civilisational consciousness&mdash;an awareness of its collective identity, shared heritage, and unified aspirations. It stems from the people's historical memory, cooperation in the present, and a shared vision for the future. This culture fuses India&rsquo;s ancient legacy with its evolving national security doctrine.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="640" data-end="1013"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">India's cultural heritage, marked by millennia of civilisational continuity, has served as a unifying force across regional, linguistic, and social divides. However, the violent Partition of 1947&mdash;driven by the British alliance with political Islamists&mdash;fractured this cohesion, leading to immense communal violence and deep scars that still echo in India-Pakistan relations.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="1015" data-end="1399"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Today, Pakistan continues to challenge the resilience of India&rsquo;s strategic culture by fostering faith-driven terrorism, particularly in Jammu &amp; Kashmir. The recent terror attack in Pahalgam, where Hindu tourists were targeted, was a clear attempt to destabilize India internally. However, the nation responded with unity and condemnation, standing firm against Pakistan&rsquo;s provocation.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="1401" data-end="1808"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">India&rsquo;s strategic ethos emphasizes peace, pluralism, and welfarism. The principle of <em data-start="1486" data-end="1509">Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam</em> (the world is one family) and the Indian Constitution&rsquo;s secular framework uphold religious freedom and equal treatment for all citizens. Despite occasional efforts to stoke division, the average Indian&mdash;including members of minority communities&mdash;continues to support a harmonious, democratic society.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="1810" data-end="2196"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">A strong strategic culture demands collective agreement on threats and a willingness to act in national interest, including sacrificing for security. This was evident in India&rsquo;s firm military response following the Pahalgam attack. Operation Sindoor, which involved precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure across the border, sent a clear signal of zero tolerance toward terrorism.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="2198" data-end="2604"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Unlike Pakistan, India does not align its governance with any religious identity. Every citizen has equal political rights and freedom of faith. Pakistan, on the other hand, has institutionalized religious radicalism, using it as a policy tool&mdash;both domestically and against India. The Jamaat-e-Islami, founded in pre-Independence India, has long been a key player in ISI&rsquo;s operations in Kashmir and beyond.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="2606" data-end="2922"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Former Pakistani President Gen. Zia-ul-Haq promoted the idea of an Islamic Ummah, strengthening religious extremism across South Asia. His policies led to the creation and support of terror groups such as Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba, used by the Pakistani state as proxies against India and in Afghanistan.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="2924" data-end="3227"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pakistan has exploited its strategic ties with the US, maintaining relationships with the Pentagon while covertly supporting radical elements. It facilitated the Taliban&rsquo;s return to power in Afghanistan, enabling China to expand its Belt and Road Initiative in exchange for silence on Uyghur repression.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="3229" data-end="3568"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The duplicity of Pakistan&rsquo;s role in the so-called &ldquo;war on terror&rdquo; has long been evident, sheltering figures like Osama bin Laden and manipulating its position as a mediator in US-Taliban negotiations. Its strategy of using both anti-West and West-funded Islamic groups shows the flawed logic behind classifying &ldquo;good&rdquo; and &ldquo;bad&rdquo; terrorists.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="3570" data-end="3945"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Former US President Donald Trump took a harder stance, calling out Islamic terrorism and imposing visa restrictions on nations fostering it. Yet the deep-rooted Pentagon-Pakistan ties remained a factor in American foreign policy. India, meanwhile, has steadily strengthened its security posture and retaliated robustly to terror threats, as seen in the aftermath of Pahalgam.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="3947" data-end="4270"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Following India&rsquo;s strikes on Pakistani targets and Pakistan&rsquo;s failed drone counterattacks, Indian missile responses inflicted significant damage on Pakistani airbases. In a state of desperation, the Pakistani military sought US intervention, citing nuclear risk. The US response acknowledged the need to prevent escalation.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="4272" data-end="4806"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Subsequent diplomatic engagements, including talks between US officials and Indian leadership, led to a ceasefire. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his national address on June 12, made it clear that this truce would not mean tolerance of future attacks. Any further terror incident would be treated as an act of war. He emphasized that India would no longer be deterred by Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear rhetoric and reiterated that talks with Islamabad would be confined solely to terrorism and the status of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="4808" data-end="5063"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">This marked a clear articulation of India&rsquo;s National Security Doctrine&mdash;a new normal where deterrence is active and unwavering. Modi&rsquo;s speech also referenced India&rsquo;s right to reconsider its obligations under the Indus Waters Treaty if provocations persist.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="5065" data-end="5370"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The ongoing alliance between Pakistan and China, internal sectarian tensions, and cross-border extremism continue to pose existential challenges to India&rsquo;s strategic culture. However, unity rooted in shared heritage, democratic principles, and resilience in the face of adversity remains India&rsquo;s strength.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="5372" data-end="5609"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Even as authoritarian regimes like China invoke their own civilisational strengths to consolidate power, India&rsquo;s democratic model offers a contrast&mdash;one that celebrates diversity while remaining vigilant against threats to national unity.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="5611" data-end="5861"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Amid rising global instability and the return of Cold War dynamics between the West and the China-led axis, India must continue to strengthen its strategic culture, anchored in peace, zero tolerance for terrorism, and commitment to national security.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="5863" data-end="6044"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pahalgam has reaffirmed that Indians, across faiths and ideologies, prioritize harmony and national interest. This shared resolve is the cornerstone of India&rsquo;s strategic resilience.</span></p>
<p class="" data-start="6046" data-end="6124"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">(The article is authored by a former Director of India&rsquo;s Intelligence Bureau)</span></p>
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Pakistan continues to challenge the resilience of India

Pahalgam attack reaffirms India’s unity, resilience, and zero-tolerance approach to terrorism as New Delhi redefines its national security doctrine

The Third Eye: Drawing Strength from India’s Strategic Culture Amid Pakistan Tensions

Pahalgam attack reaffirms India’s unity, resilience, and zero-tolerance approach to terrorism as New Delhi redefines its national security doctrine

May 18, 2025 | 11:49 IST