PM also highlighted that use of terrorism by Pakistan against India is not merely a proxy war now but a direct war with India.

• Pakistan uses proxy warfare against India by funding, training, and arming militant groups like LeT and JeM to destabilize Jammu and Kashmir.

What is a proxy war?

• It is a conflict fought by one or more states that do not themselves become directly involved but support non-state actors (e.g., militants, spies) against other states.
  • It is a subset of Hybrid Warfare that combines conventional military tactics with unconventional methods, often including cyber warfare, terrorism (proxy war), etc.
• Tools: Military aid and training non-state actors, economic assistance, intelligence sharing, non-kinetic measures (e.g., disinformation), cyber tools etc.
• Impact on India: 
  • Challenge to sovereignty: E.g. Pakistan’s support to insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • Violence and loss of life: E.g. China’s indirect backing of militant groups in Northeastern states, causing significant civilian and military casualties.
  • Economic Burden: Due to Higher spending on security, strained social infrastructure.

Reasons Behind Proxy War

• Plausible Deniability: Evading direct blame and international consequences.
• Strategic Depth: To gather intelligence and influence events remotely without direct involvement, e.g. Using sleeper cells (OGWs) and social media influencers as seen recently.
• Cost Avoidance: Minimizing own casualties and low investment in militants while increasing adversaries' war costs, e.g., Pakistan’s “thousand cuts” strategy against India.