India ready for ‘every kind of strike’ against terrorism: Defence minister Rajnath Singh warns Pakistan
Rajnath Singh says India will not compromise on security amid terrorism concerns
Bharatmorning.com – Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said India is prepared to take every necessary form of action against terrorism if Pakistan continues what he described as a state-backed policy of supporting it. Speaking at the NDTV Defence Conclave on Sunday, Singh stressed that protecting national security remains non-negotiable for India.
His comments came during a period of renewed diplomatic friction between India and Pakistan at international platforms, where Indian representatives have pressed for stronger action against terror networks, their financing, recruitment systems, radicalisation efforts and safe havens.
“India wants peace, but India will not compromise on its security under any circumstances.”
Peace, Singh says, must not be mistaken for weakness
Singh said India does not seek war, does not intend to seize territory belonging to another nation and does not wish to threaten other countries. However, he argued that a commitment to peace should never be interpreted as an inability or unwillingness to defend the country.
“India believes in peace. India never wants war. India never wants to capture the land of any foreign country in the world. India doesn't even want to threaten anyone. But there is a difference between peace and cowardice, and the whole world should understand this.”
The minister’s remarks underlined a familiar position in India’s security policy: dialogue remains desirable, but it has limits when terrorism is involved. Singh said that meaningful engagement cannot continue where a country is accused of offering support or shelter to groups operating against India.
“India believes in dialogue, but if any country gives shelter to terrorism against India, then the scope of dialogue ends right there.”
Warning directed at Pakistan
Addressing Pakistan directly, Singh said India was ready for “every kind of strike” against terrorism as long as its neighbour continued the policy he criticised. The statement was framed not only as a message to Islamabad, but also as a wider warning to the international community about India’s security posture.
“As long as our neighbor continues the state policy of terrorism, India is completely ready for every kind of strike against terrorism. We want to tell our neighbor as well as the world.”
Singh linked his position to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek. Modi had called for countries that support terrorists or treat terrorism as part of their policy to receive an unambiguous international response.
“The Prime Minister has clearly said that the countries that make terrorism their policy, give shelter and support to terrorists, have to give a strong message that terrorism cannot be a strategic asset for anyone under any circumstances.”
At the SCO gathering earlier this month, Modi had urged member states to dismantle the wider infrastructure that enables terrorism. He pointed to financial support, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens as parts of the ecosystem that must be addressed together.
“We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorism--its financing, recruitment, radicalization, and safe havens. We must speak in one voice that there can be no place for double standards on this serious issue.”
National interest and strategic autonomy
The defence minister also set out how India views its partnerships and military choices. India supports cooperation with other countries and favours global stability, he said, but neither goal can come at the expense of national interests or strategic independence.
“India wants operations, but we do not want operations at the cost of national interests. India wants cooperation, but not at the cost of national interests. India wants global stability, but not at the cost of its strategic autonomy.”
For readers, the emphasis on strategic autonomy is significant because it describes India’s effort to retain independent decision-making while expanding ties with countries across different regions and alliances. Singh presented this approach as compatible with peace, provided India can continue to make security decisions on its own terms.
India’s place in a changing global order
Singh also rejected attempts to place India into a simple contest between established powers and rising challengers. Referring to the idea known as the “Thucydides Trap,” he said history has often shown tension between a rising country and a previously dominant power.
“Thucydides Trap means that when a country rises, often its conflict happens with the pre-established powerful countries... the conflict between revisionist power and status-quoist power almost always happens; you can look at the past history of the world.”
But Singh described that interpretation as too limited for India. Rather than identifying India as either a status-quo power or a revisionist power, he said the country should be understood through its longer civilisational identity.
“We should not fall into any such binary. In the context of India, this thing does not fit at all. India is neither a status-quoist power nor a revisionist power. I believe we are a civilizational power; we also need to understand this fact.”
The security debate has also featured prominently at the United Nations. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the UN General Assembly on Saturday, local time, that Pakistan had misrepresented facts before the body and attempted to normalise terrorism.
“Yesterday, a serial practitioner of terrorism misrepresented facts before this assembly. Arguments were invoked to normalise terrorism and claim immunity from its consequences. That will not stand. Our right to defend ourselves against terrorism will be exercised.”
Jaishankar added that terrorism cannot coexist with genuine friendship and goodwill. Taken together, the statements from Singh, Modi and Jaishankar signal India’s continuing demand for an international approach that treats terrorism as an unacceptable tool of state policy while preserving India’s right to defend its security.
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