New Delhi, February 25 – The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched "PRAHAAR," India’s first national counter-terrorism policy and strategy, outlining the nation's zero-tolerance stance towards terrorism, originating from both within and outside.
This comprehensive document outlines India’s firm approach to counter-terrorism, details the steps taken over the years, and articulates the strategy to be adopted in the future.
For decades, the country has faced numerous threats from terrorism, fueled by groups operating from across the border and various Jihadi organizations, which have instigated terror within Indian territory. These groups continued to plan, coordinate, and execute attacks in India, with global terror groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) attempting to spread terror through their sleeper cells.
In response, India has primarily focused on preparing dossiers, making diplomatic protests, and repeatedly appealing to the international community.
However, with the implementation of PRAHAAR, the government is adopting a more proactive approach, directly confronting the terror proxies and their backers. This reaffirms India’s new zero-tolerance stance in dismantling terror networks and neutralizing sleeper cells, supported by global entities.
This strategic shift is evident in recent anti-terror operations. In Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, a top Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) commander was neutralized, while in Tamil Nadu, an ISI-backed sleeper cell was dismantled. These operations reflect a new, institutionalized counter-terrorism doctrine, as outlined in PRAHAAR.
In Kishtwar, security forces conducted a 36-hour operation in the dense, challenging forest of Chatroo, showcasing India's advanced military capabilities. A senior JeM commander, Saifullah, along with two foreign mercenaries, was killed.
The security forces' calibrated response, utilizing intelligence gathering and drone surveillance to neutralise these terrorists, marked a new strategic shift in anti-terror strategy. The forces used real-time drone surveillance and specialized K9 units to locate and apprehend terrorists in the difficult terrain of Kishtwar.
This demonstrated India's firm determination that terror proxies would no longer find sanctuary in the valley, and that any repercussions from across the border would be too significant to bear.
In Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, eight operatives of ISIS, primarily Bangladeshi nationals, were apprehended, exposing the dangerous and malicious designs of ISI's hybrid warfare.
These operatives sought to infiltrate labour-intensive industries across the country by forging identity documents and plotting IED attacks in crowded areas with high foot traffic.
The integration of the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) has proven instrumental in security agencies tracking down sleeper cells and rendering them ineffective.
The eight-page policy, uploaded on the MHA portal, states that India faces terrorist threats on all three fronts: land, water, and air, and highlights that capabilities have been developed to protect critical sectors of the Indian economy, including power, railways, aviation, ports, defense, space, and atomic energy, from state and non-state actors.
The policy also states that border guarding forces (Defence, Central Armed Police Forces) and immigration authorities have been equipped with state-of-the-art tools and technologies to secure the borders.
PRAHAAR represents India’s first unified national counter-terrorism policy and strategy, marking a transition from reactive, fragmented responses to a more structured and proactive approach, based on the following seven pillars:
Proactive prevention: This emphasizes intelligence gathering and its dissemination to executive agencies for pre-emptive neutralization of the threat.
Proportionate response: This ensures that India's conventional military responses are not limited by the threat of escalation.
Aggregating capacity: Anti-terror mechanisms have now been standardised across all states, eliminating "jurisdictional gaps" that terror organizations previously exploited.
Rule of law: Multiple levels of legal redressal are available to any accused through a comprehensive justice system, resulting in conviction rates of over 95%.
Targeting the ecosystem: Aggressive measures have been taken against financial sponsors and "over-ground workers" (OGWs), who provide crucial support to terrorist operations.
Aligning and shaping international efforts: This strengthens multilateral cooperation through mutual legal assistance treaties (MLATs) and calls for denying safe havens and restricting terror funding globally.
Recovery and resilience: This advocates for a public-private partnership in ensuring rapid recovery.
