The evolution of India’s Kashmir policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been marked by bold moves, unprecedented retaliation to terror attacks, and a reimagining of national security strategy. From the surgical strikes after the Uri attack in 2016 to the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, and most recently to the decisive retaliation under Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam massacre in 2025, PM Modi has crafted what is being called “Naya Kashmir.” This approach has not only altered the security contours of the Valley but also reshaped India’s global image as a country unwilling to tolerate terror provocations, regardless of the international consequences.
From Surgical Strikes to Balakot: Shaping PM Modi 1.0 and 2.0
The Bharatiya Janata Party had long promised the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Union, a vision rooted in Syama Prasad Mukherjee’s call for “Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan, Ek Samvidhan.” Narendra Modi inherited this ideological foundation, but he also faced challenges of translating it into policy while confronting some of the worst terror attacks India had endured in decades.
The September 2016 Uri attack, in which Pakistani terrorists targeted an Indian Army brigade headquarters, became a turning point. For the first time, India abandoned a purely defensive posture and launched surgical strikes across the Line of Control. These operations targeted terrorist launchpads in Pakistan-occupied territory. Though critics dismissed the damage as minimal, describing felled trees and dead crows, the strikes signaled a departure from decades of restrained responses. The message was unmistakable: India would no longer absorb blows quietly.
The real test, however, came in February 2019, when forty CRPF jawans were killed in a suicide bombing at Pulwama. With elections looming, the government was under intense pressure. While the National Investigation Agency pursued the Jaish-e-Mohammed plot, the Indian Air Force prepared for a more audacious strike, codenamed Operation Bandar. On February 26, Indian fighter jets crossed the Line of Control and bombed terror camps in Balakot, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, targeting Jaish’s infrastructure.
As Indian jets carried out the operation, PM Modi maintained public composure, even appearing at a CNN-News18 event without hinting at the mission underway. Pakistan’s retaliatory airstrikes the following day led to the capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman after his MIG-21 went down across the border. The swift diplomatic efforts that secured his release became another moment of national pride, reinforcing PM Modi’s image as a leader who stood firm under pressure.
The Balakot strikes dominated the election narrative, overshadowing opposition questions about intelligence failures. Voters rewarded the government with an even stronger mandate, propelling PM Modi into his second term with the confidence to pursue one of the BJP’s most ambitious goals: ending Kashmir’s special status under Article 370.
Abrogation of Article 370: The Birth of Naya Kashmir
Amit Shah’s appointment as Home Minister in 2019 was a clear signal that Article 370’s fate was sealed. Within weeks of assuming office, Shah met intelligence and security officials to gauge the Valley’s potential reaction. The warnings were dire—agencies feared widespread violence and bloodshed if the constitutional provision was revoked. Yet, through meticulous planning, the government executed the decision with precision.
On August 5, 2019, Article 370 was abrogated, and Jammu and Kashmir was reorganized into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The Valley was placed under complete lockdown, internet services were suspended, and former chief ministers were placed under house arrest. The heavy-handed measures were controversial, but the feared bloodshed never materialized. Parliament ratified the move, judicial challenges were overcome, and for the first time since independence, Kashmir was under the same constitutional framework as the rest of India.
The abrogation of Article 370 was hailed by BJP supporters as the fulfillment of a decades-old promise and a defining achievement of PM Modi’s second term. With the Valley pacified, at least temporarily, the government focused on projecting a new narrative. Record numbers of tourists began flocking to the region, encouraged by improved security. Previously inaccessible destinations were promoted as the face of “Naya Kashmir,” giving the impression of normalization.
Internationally, Pakistan was on the back foot. At the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Islamabad faced intense scrutiny, which choked funding for groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. PM Modi’s Kashmir policy appeared to be working, blending muscular security with diplomatic isolation of Pakistan.
Yet, the events of April 2025 demonstrated the fragility of this peace. In a brutal attack in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley, twenty-six tourists were killed in cold blood, shattering the sense of security that had been carefully built. Survivors described the absence of police protection and the chaos that followed. The opposition quickly revived questions about the government’s claim of a terror-free Kashmir, suggesting that the PM Modi administration had been premature in declaring victory over militancy.
Operation Sindoor and PM Modi 3.0’s Uncompromising Doctrine
If PM Modi’s first term was defined by surgical strikes and Balakot, and his second term by the abrogation of Article 370, his third term is fast becoming synonymous with a no-compromise counter-terror doctrine. The Pahalgam massacre, rather than being treated as an isolated tragedy, was framed by the government as a watershed moment.
In response, the PM Modi administration launched Operation Sindoor, an operation designed not just as retaliation but as a statement of doctrine. India’s strikes extended beyond Pakistan-occupied territories into the heart of Pakistan’s cities, targeting terror infrastructure in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi. Unlike in the past, the government released video evidence of these operations, ensuring that critics, both domestic and international, could not question their authenticity.
For the first time, India openly dismissed Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence as a bluff. By striking within Pakistan’s urban centers, PM Modi 3.0 effectively called Islamabad’s long-standing nuclear blackmail strategy into question. This boldness marked a significant escalation in India’s security posture, suggesting that deterrence would now be maintained through decisive action rather than restraint.
At the same time, PM Modi’s messaging sought to tie the response to national sentiment. On his 75th birthday, amid global headlines, the Prime Minister reinforced the idea that India’s security cannot be compromised by international diplomacy. As U.S. President Donald Trump dined with Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir, New Delhi emphasized that India would chart its own course, regardless of shifting alliances.
Operation Sindoor also reflected a deeper shift in India’s approach to counter-terrorism: retaliation was no longer episodic but institutionalized. The government’s willingness to carry out precise strikes, release evidence, and withstand international scrutiny demonstrated a level of strategic clarity unseen in past decades. PM Modi’s doctrine sought not merely to avenge lives lost but to impose costs on Pakistan that could not be ignored.
For the BJP, the Pahalgam tragedy also became a moment to reassert its ideological commitment. Critics questioned whether the promise of Naya Kashmir had been overstated, but the government’s response reinforced its claim that Kashmir’s future would no longer be hostage to terrorism. In this sense, PM Modi 3.0 continued the trajectory set in 2016 and 2019—of confronting Pakistan directly and redefining India’s counter-terror narrative.
The events from Uri to Pahalgam capture the arc of PM Modi’s Kashmir strategy: from surgical strikes to constitutional change, and finally to a doctrine of uncompromising retaliation. Each phase built upon the last, reshaping India’s security architecture and sending a clear message to adversaries. What began as a political promise has evolved into a defining element of PM Modi’s leadership, altering not only the reality of Kashmir but also India’s standing on the global stage.
