National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Tuesday said that the mood and temper of the people of Kashmir has totally changed since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and that they do not support Pakistan and terrorism anymore.
“Post-2019, the mood and temper of the people of Kashmir has totally changed. People are no more in the favour of Pakistan and terrorism,” Doval said. He further said that India wants to have normal relations with Pakistan while stressing that New Delhi’s “tolerance threshold for terrorism is very low”. “We have good relations with our neighbours including Pakistan. We would like to have normal relations with Pakistan but the certainly tolerance threshold for terrorism is very low.” The NSA also said that India will not beg for peace at any terms.
“We can’t have peace and war at the choice of our adversary. If we’ve to protect our interests, then we will decide when and with whom and on what terms we will have peace,” he said.
Ties between India and Pakistan came under bitter strain after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country. The relationship between the two countries further deteriorated after a series of attacks, including one on an Indian Army camp in Uri.
The tension flared up after India carried out airstrikes deteriorated targeting a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The relations worsened after India announced scrapping the special stauts of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August, 2019.
India has repeatedly maintained that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and shall forever” remain an integral part of the country. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda. India has told Pakistan that they can have neighbourly relations if Islamabad ensures an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. Commenting on the border row with China, Doval said, “We have a long-pending territorial dispute with China. We have made our intentions very clear to China. They are aware of the fact that we will not tolerate any transgression.”
