The ghastly act of terror which consumed 26 of our countrymen has touched every Indian to the core. The initial response of the government is measured and apt; the political spectrum acted with rare sensitivity and unanimity, and the people in Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of India exhibited remarkable unity and social cohesion.

In that sense, the terror sponsors in Pakistan and groups like LeT, or their proxies, have already failed. The perpetrators of terror and elements of the Pakistan establishment that sponsored it acted in desperation as government policy in J&K is working; there is increasing democratic participation in the state, and the economy, investments and tourism are growing. J&K is growing faster than the rest of India. Significant investment is flowing into the state to build infrastructure and businesses. Tourist traffic doubled since 2021 and reached 23.6 million – almost double the population of the state.

Pakistan's desperation to keep the J&K issue alive and focus global attention on it is behind this horrific act. The belligerent comments of Pak army chief Asim Munir on April 16 in a gathering of overseas Pakistanis and the provocative remarks of foreign minister Ishaq Dar and defence minister Khwaja Asif on April 24, in a press conference following the Pehalgam terror attack, clearly indicate Pakistan's need to raise the India bogey. The visit of the US vice president probably offered an opportunity to attract maximum global attention. This act of terror is more like a flame burning brightest before it goes out. The greater integration of Kashmir with the rest of the nation, the increasing prosperity of India, our dehyphenation with Pakistan, Pak's internal turmoil and economic crises, the rigged election and jailing of Imran Khan and his supporters – all point to Pakistan's desperation.

The Pakistani establishment hoped that by deliberately targeting Hindu tourists, Indian society would be at war with itself and there would be communal strife alienating the religious minorities and Kashmir Valley. Instead, Indian society and polity acted with remarkable maturity and unity of purpose. The government and political parties refused to view the barbaric act through the religious prism. From Narendra Modi to Omar Abdullah and Asaduddin Owaisi, all across the political spectrum responded with great poise and dignity. Even more significant, the Indian people across all regions and religions refused to take the bait and expressed their grief in a mature way without communal hatred. This response of our people is in sharp contrast to the reckless bravado and polarising comments of many social media warriors.

What is even more remarkable is the universal condemnation of terrorist violence by the people of J&K. The April 24 bandh protesting terrorism received spontaneous and universal support in the state. Kashmiris have clearly realised that the way forward for them lies in peace, freedom, and prosperity, all of which are within reach. Ultimately, terrorism will be destroyed by this spirit of the nation, whether in Kashmir or the rest of India.

The terrorists covered themselves in a religious cloak; but the people of India intuitively understood that religious Islam and Islamist ideology should be separated. Our Muslim population almost equals Pakistan’s; only Indonesia has more Muslims. Our constitution, laws, polity and society treat all religions with respect. For 5000 years our philosophy and culture have been built on the foundations of embracing different approaches to truth and accepting all faiths. Ekam Sat, Vipra Bahudha Vadanti (Truth is one; the wise express it in many ways) is our society’s guiding philosophy. Across the length and breadth of India, transcending all the diversities of caste, region and religion, people broadly adhere to this eclectic and inclusive nature of society. That acceptance and eclecticism are once again on display in the face of this vile provocation in the form of dastardly terror.

We must respond strongly and effectively. Blaming each other or complaining of intelligence failure will not help. Even the best of intelligence cannot give you the exact time, place and nature of the  terror attack. Terrorism is asymmetric warfare; a small group of hate-filled lunatics can cause unimaginable destruction. The fight is long drawn out. True, we must learn lessons from each experience and improve our systems; intelligence gathering, sharing, coordination and unified action can and should be improved. We must act resolutely to identify, search, apprehend and punish every terrorist and his handler and sponsor. We should make the Pakistan establishment realise that the cost they pay is unaffordable. Therefore, the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty is the right step. Relentless diplomatic and economic pressure on Pakistan is necessary. There must be strong and focused action to root out hubs of terrorism.

But our response to Pakistan must be at the time, place, and manner of our choosing. It must be deliberate and effective. We should not be consumed by anger and lash out blindly. Let us remember the lessons of 9/11. The United States, after the destruction of the twin towers, responded angrily. The invasion of Afghanistan was inevitable once the Taliban refused to surrender the Al Qaeda leadership. But the invasion without a clear endgame resulted in disaster, economic pain to the US, untold suffering of Afghan people, and restoration of the Taliban. The invasion of Iraq was wholly unnecessary and proved to be counter-productive. The US is the mightiest country on earth. Afghanistan and Iraq are relatively small countries. Pakistan is much more complicated. Therefore, our response should be strong, purposive and effective in deterrence, not impulsive.

Ultimately our nation's security lies in harmony in society, prosperity, and greater defence preparedness and capability. Our quest for unity and prosperity must continue with redoubled vigour. Nothing should jeopardise our economic growth momentum.

The author is the founder of Lok Satta movement and Foundation for Democratic Reforms. Email: drjploksatta@gmail.com / Twitter@jp_loksatta