"Bad Neighbours": Jaishankar Formalizes India’s "Offensive Defense" Doctrine

The unspoken rules of South Asian engagement have officially changed. On January 2, 2026, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar codified what military analysts have suspected for months: India has abandoned "strategic restraint." Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Jaishankar declared that India possesses the "inherent right to defend itself" against "bad neighbours" who sponsor terrorism. His blunt assertion—"No one can dictate how India will exercise its right"—is not just rhetoric; it is a retroactive policy seal on Operation Sindoor, the massive retaliatory strikes India launched in May 2025, and a forward-looking warning as intelligence reports predict renewed friction in 2026.

The Context (How We Got Here)

This doctrine was forged in fire seven months ago. The trigger was the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam Massacre, where terrorists ambushed a tourist bus, killing 26 civilians. Unlike previous crises that saw weeks of diplomatic posturing, India responded on May 7 with Operation Sindoor—a coordinated air and missile campaign dismantling LeT and TRF infrastructure deep inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan retaliated with Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, leading to a 72-hour kinetic standoff described as the heaviest shelling since 1971. While a ceasefire was brokered on May 10, Jaishankar’s speech today confirms that the military response was not an exception, but the new standard operating procedure.

The Key Players (Who & So What)

• Dr. S. Jaishankar (The Architect): By framing the issue as "Good Neighbourliness vs. Terror," he is diplomatically isolating Pakistan while legally justifying cross-border strikes. His refusal to accept third-party mediation (a subtle jab at both the US and China) reinforces India's strategic autonomy.
• Narendra Modi (The Enforcer): The Prime Minister’s reported stance that "no world leader asked India to stop" during the May conflict suggests that New Delhi has successfully reset the global "tolerance threshold" for its military actions.
• The "Bad Neighbour" (Pakistan): Facing internal economic collapse and now a militarized Indian policy, Islamabad loses the cover of "plausible deniability." The cost of sponsoring proxy groups like The Resistance Front (TRF) has shifted from diplomatic condemnation to physical destruction of infrastructure.

The BIGSTORY Reframe

While mainstream media focuses on the "Bad Neighbour" soundbite, the deeper story is the "Water Weaponization." Buried in the post-conflict fallout is the continued suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. Unlike previous wars where water flowed uninterrupted, the 2025 escalation saw India effectively pause cooperation. Jaishankar’s doctrine implies that future conflicts will be total—spanning not just land and air, but resources. The era of compartmentalizing water sharing from terror disputes appears to be over.

Furthermore, this represents the "Doctrine of Offensive Defense." India is no longer waiting for an attack to be "terrorist-initiated." The messaging suggests that hosting terror infrastructure is now sufficient provocation for preemptive strikes. This erases the traditional "Line of Control" constraints that defined the Kargil and post-Mumbai eras.

The Implications (Why This Changes Things)

The timing is critical. A US Council on Foreign Relations report recently warned that conflict is "highly likely" to reignite in 2026. By drawing a red line now, India is pre-positioning itself. If another attack occurs, the response will likely be faster, automated (involving drone swarms), and less concerned with international de-escalation calls. The "Bad Neighbour" speech effectively tells the world: Don't call us for restraint when the next strike happens.

The Closing Question (Now, Think About This)

If India has officially decided that borders are no barrier to defense, and water treaties are conditional on good behavior, is South Asia heading for deterrence or total war?

FAQs

What is Operation Sindoor? Operation Sindoor was a large-scale retaliatory military campaign launched by India on May 7, 2025, targeting terrorist infrastructure (LeT/TRF) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan. It was a direct response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians in April 2025.

What did Jaishankar say about Pakistan in 2026? On January 2, 2026, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that India has an "inherent right to defend itself" against "bad neighbours" who sponsor terrorism. He emphasized that India will not be dictated to by other nations regarding its security, signaling a permanent shift to a more offensive defense posture.

Is the Indus Waters Treaty suspended? Yes. Reports indicate that cooperation under the Indus Waters Treaty has remained effectively suspended or "paused" since the military escalation in May 2025, marking a significant strategic shift where India is leveraging water resources against cross-border terrorism.

Sources

News Coverage

• Times of India – India has right to defend: Jaishankar hits out at 'bad neighbours'
• India Today – India has right to defend itself against bad neighbours
• The Week – India has every right to defend its people