The brutal killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam has shattered assumptions that Indiaā€™s primary security challenges have shifted solely towards China. Even as the Galwan standoff reoriented India’s strategic focus eastward, the Pahalgam massacre exposes the enduring threat of Pakistan-backed terrorism, forcing India to confront dual hostile fronts. The attack strikes at the soul of the nation and demands urgent recalibration of Indiaā€™s security doctrine.
Meanwhile, ominous developments in Bangladesh ā€” the resurgence of pro-Pakistan Islamist elements, high-level ISI visits, and strategic engagements with Islamabad ā€” signal deepening threats in Indiaā€™s eastern neighbourhood. With the Chittagong Hill Tracts emerging as a potential terror hub and old ISI networks showing signs of revival, Indiaā€™s eastern frontier is growing dangerously volatile once again.
To put these critical shifts into perspective, former Chief of the Indian Armyā€™s Eastern Command, Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita (Retd), walks us through the post-Pahalgam security realities, the emerging eastern threats, and what India must do to stay ahead.
