The operation in Myanmar by Indian forces against North East-based militants has opened new doors for dealing with cross-border terrorism. Though the operation was in Myanmar, the aftershocks were felt elsewhere – mainly in Pakistan where former President Pervez Musharraf and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan lost no time in warning India that such a surgical operation in its territory will be dealt with retaliatory strikes. The question is: should the Myanmar operation model be replicated elsewhere against terrorists? What about the fact that a certain section within the government went all out in chest thumping on the success of the military operation in Myanmar? Should India refrain from such overt claims vis-a-vis covert gains? Is it time to augment our ‘covert’ capabilities? Is covert operation the only way out against asymmetrical war?
