But what would Modi’s plan of action be? The answer is, well, impossible to guess. But rest assured, whatever will happen, will be sudden and unimaginable. You can go back to the precedent of February 15, 2019. The entire country was riled by the deaths of 40 CRPF soldiers in Kashmir’s Pulwama. While flagging off the Vande Bharat train between New Delhi and Varanasi, the PM had assured the nation that the perpetrators and their supporters of the terror attack would pay a heavy price. Pakistan shouldn’t be under any delusion that it can destabilise India. Then, the security forces were given a free hand.

Many Indians, along with Pakistan’s military establishment, made the mistake of treating the statement as electoral grandstanding. However, within the next 10 days, they were stunned by India’s response. Whatever unfolded in Balakot was witnessed by the world in shock and awe.

This was the moment of an affirmative shift in India’s strategic approach. It was clear that those bent on bleeding India would be hunted down. And India won’t hesitate to operate beyond territorial boundaries. It’s been six years since the Pulwama tragedy. The world and its ways have undergone a sea change. Russia’s attack on Ukraine and Israel’s military action in Gaza have rewritten the rules on international engagement.

This is the reason that neither Russia’s Vladimir Putin nor Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu have backed down from their positions in the face of mounting pressure from international forums. The Russian and Israeli forces are busy eliminating their ‘enemies’. US President Donald Trump, on the other hand, keeps reiterating, publicly, his threat to annex Greenland and Canada. But will India be able to do something like this?

It would be unwise to offer a premature comment on such a sensitive issue, but Pakistan’s nuclear posturing and the threat of its misuse can’t deter Modi. The surgical strike and the Balakot air strike indicate that. The other nations are also sick and tired of Pakistan’s nuclear blackmail. It’s not for nothing that after the Pahalgam terror attack, all the important nations of the world have shown solidarity with India. This solidarity can be brilliantly leveraged in the emerging scenario.

Opposition leaders in India have closed ranks and urged the government to take the strictest action against Pakistan, standing firmly behind the government. I am not a supporter of war and firmly believe that no government should go to war, egged on by the media or by public sentiments. However, if the situation deteriorates beyond the point of no return, something must be done. This is the time to stand by the government. This is the best homage to pay to those who laid down their lives in Pahalgam.

It’s necessary to mention those clowns who are indulging in puerile acts to derail the efforts of the government. The night before the PM’s intense speech in Madhubani, some people murdered a biryani-seller in Agra. His associate, too, was wounded by the gunshots. Immediately after the incident, a video went viral on social media. Two armed men, self-anointed leaders of an alleged Hindu organisation, spewed communal venom, claiming the murder was revenge for the killings in Pahalgam. The same day, people in Noida received a pre-recorded call targeting a particular religion.

Hundreds of social media handles are active right now fomenting religious frenzy. These people are doing the terrorists’ bidding by helping them achieve their desired goal of alienating Kashmir from mainstream India and consigning the entire nation to the flames of communalism.

The way Kashmir has progressed since the abrogation of Article 370 has made the Valley’s youth hopeful that they too can tap into the national rhythm and move with it as normal Indian citizens. The Pahalgam incident has dented their hopes. This is the reason the Kashmir Valley too is seething along with the rest of India. On the day of the attack, people came onto the streets chanting anti-Pakistan slogans. Ordinary Kashmiris called for a Valley-wide shut down. We should respect the Kashmiris for the way they have come out strongly in support of the people aggrieved by the terror attack.

Meanwhile, news poured in from some states that Kashmiri students were being heckled. Incidents like these should be dealt with firmly. We need to stand with the victims and show solidarity towards the Kashmiri people, as they have lost more lives and livelihoods than other parts of India.

It’s the time to stay united.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. The views expressed are personal