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Editor’s Note
In the wake of the recent Pahalgam terror attack and India’s robust military response through Operation Sindhoor, national security is once again at the forefront of public debate. But as this commentary argues, proper security cannot rest solely on armed strength or diplomatic resolve. It must also be rooted in the deeper, quieter foundations of social cohesion and political stability. This piece advocates for a re-examination of what constitutes a nation’s true security, arguing that India’s long-term resilience depends as much on internal unity as on external deterrence.
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The April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives sparked national outrage and a swift retaliation. India’s measured response—including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the expulsion of Pakistani nationals, and Operation Sindhoor on May 7—demonstrated both strategic planning and political resolve, in line with its stated policy of ‘strategic autonomy’. A stable political system provides predictability for economic growth, consistency in policy implementation, and legitimacy for difficult decisions during times of crisis.
India’s response to Pahalgam demonstrated this principle in action. The swift, coordinated response across multiple government departments—from diplomatic initiatives to military operations—was made possible by institutional stability and clear chains of command.
Yet beyond the immediate military response lies a deeper truth: true national security requires more than military might or diplomatic skill. It fundamentally depends on the strength of social cohesion and political stability within a nation’s borders.
National security traditionally focuses on external threats and military capabilities. However, history shows that nations often fall more from internal fractures than from external conquest. Social cohesion transforms a collection of individuals into a resilient nation. When diverse groups share common values and mutual trust, they become more resilient to division and manipulation. The absence of such unity becomes a strategic vulnerability. A society lacking unity, trust, and shared purpose becomes vulnerable to manipulation, exploitation, and ultimately, collapse. For India, building robust internal foundations is not just desirable—it is essential for survival and growth in an increasingly complex global environment.
India’s response to recent terrorist attacks has revealed concerning gaps in national unity. Rather than a unanimous condemnation of terrorism, voices of support appear fragmented and temporary. This absence of homogeneity weakens the nation’s resolve and provides opportunities for adversaries to exploit divisions. Internal security threats fundamentally derive from the people themselves. Fear, disgruntlement, dislocation, and exploitation are among the drivers that create dissension within the state. These vulnerabilities manifest as manipulated protests, violence, and disruption of normal life, all of which impede economic growth and social progress. Willful exploitation of a disgruntled society is practised the world over and is a root cause of destabilising a nation. It is also a relatively cost-effective and easy option.
India possesses significant structural advantages that facilitate the building of social cohesion and political stability. The constitutional framework of federalism, secularism, and pluralism provides institutional mechanisms for managing diversity. These are not merely legal concepts but reflect centuries of Indian tradition in managing complex, multicultural societies.
The federal structure enables local autonomy while preserving national unity. Secularism ensures that no single religious group dominates the state apparatus. Pluralism recognises and protects diverse cultural traditions while promoting shared citizenship. Together, these principles create space for India’s remarkable diversity to flourish within a unified political structure.
India’s rich tradition of plurality and tolerance represents a natural form of coexistence that has persisted since ancient times. This composite multicultural society, when functioning without divisive tendencies, provides the foundation for internal peace and stability. The constitutional provisions regarding freedom of worship and state neutrality in religious matters reflect not only legal frameworks but also centuries of harmonious functioning, rooted in Indian philosophical traditions. The Indian state serves as patron of all creeds and cultures, with secularism understood as non-communal rather than non-religious.
Despite these advantages, fissiparous and communal tendencies pose a threat to society’s internal well-being. External influences disrupt social life and harmonious living, which are essential features of internal security. Modern challenges include communalism, excessive state interference in religious institutions contrary to constitutional provisions, and the persistence of different personal laws based on religion, all of which complicate the vision of a unified secular state.
The Need for Strategic Unity
India requires a two-fold strategy for maintaining unity. First, individual consciousness of caste or community must be subordinated to Indian citizenship. Second, the nation must address manipulators, elites, and ethnic leaders who exploit divisions for political gain.
Rather than pursuing extraordinary politics driven by reconstituted popular movements, India should focus on institutional order-building according to constitutional principles. This approach offers the most sustainable path to an advanced cultural society and political unification.
Navigating Great Power Competition
The challenge to global stability comes from competition between major powers seeking to shape the world according to their interests. While everyone desires a free, open, secure, and prosperous world, developing economies face discrimination and selective application of rules regarding human rights and international aid. This competition occurs amid cascading effects from global wars, food shortages, pandemics, climate change, and energy insecurity. These core geopolitical challenges require strategies of cooperation and participation rather than zero-sum competition.
India’s diplomatic outreach through seven all-party delegations under Operation Sindhoor reflected collective resolve against terrorism. However, global reaction has been characterised by diplomatic politeness rather than substantial support. This lukewarm response highlights the need for India to navigate carefully through international competition, protectionism, and populism.
India’s ability to make independent decisions based on national interests requires internal strength as its foundation. A nation divided against itself cannot pursue independent policies because it lacks the internal coherence necessary for consistent action. External powers can exploit internal divisions to influence decision-making, undermining genuine autonomy. The connection between internal order and external independence is clear: only nations with strong social cohesion and political stability can maintain genuine strategic autonomy in an anarchic international system. It makes internal development not just a domestic priority but a strategic imperative.
India follows its historical wisdom. Kautilya’s description of inimical neighbours as “soulless enemies always intent on harming the king” remains relevant to India’s contemporary situation. The concept of enemies in the rear allied with enemies in the front accurately describes India’s neighbourhood challenges since independence.
India’s measured retaliation demonstrates a path of responsible deterrence and strategic caution. This strategy must include punitive measures involving trade, economy, and water resources as negotiating tools, particularly when confronting ideological and religious extremism. The suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) as a punitive tool against a water-scarce nation for conflict resolution reflects a choice for Pakistan between the inter-se importance of people versus ideology. It is to be time-tested!
Vision-Driven Strategy
The ultimate goal is political unification that encompasses India’s democratic institutions, social values, customs, and traditions. It does not mean cultural uniformity but rather shared commitment to constitutional principles and national success. When achieved, this unity becomes a source of strength that enables India to pursue its global aspirations while maintaining internal stability.
This vision requires sustained effort across multiple generations. Building social cohesion and political stability is not a short-term project but a continuous process of institutional development, social integration, and economic inclusion. The alternative—continued vulnerability to external manipulation and internal division—is unacceptable for a nation with India’s aspirations and responsibilities.
What is the desired End State?
The Pahalgam attack and India’s response illuminate both the nation’s strengths and vulnerabilities. While Operation Sindhoor demonstrated military capability and political will, the mixed international reaction and internal divisions highlighted areas that required attention.
Proper national security depends on more than military might or diplomatic skill. It requires the often-overlooked pillars of social cohesion and political stability. For India, this means leveraging its constitutional framework and historical traditions of pluralism while addressing contemporary challenges to national unity.
Setting the house in order—creating a society satisfied with its prosperity and confident in state protection—remains as crucial as territorial integrity. Only by strengthening these internal foundations can India fully realise its potential as a major power capable of shaping rather than merely responding to global events.
The path forward requires converting individual loyalties to community or caste into broader Indian citizenship, while building institutions that serve all citizens equally. This internal consolidation will provide the stable foundation upon which India’s external security and international influence can truly flourish.
Maj Gen Gopalakrishnan Murali (Retd)
Major General Murali (Retd) had a career spanning 38 years of operational, command and staff and instructional responsibilities. Planning, formulating and executing the operational logistics plan of a strike corps, shaping the Information warfare structure of Northern Command, heading the facilities of Doctrine and Gunnery in Tge School of Artillery were among the important responsibilities shoulders by the General. His academic pursuit included an MPhil and Doctoral degree from Madras University. He retired as Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor of OTA Chennai.
