Following mounting cross-border tensions and a recent terror attack on tourists in the Pahalgam area of Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of high-level meetings on Wednesday. They included a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which deals with making decisions at the highest level concerning national security. Following this, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), often dubbed the ‘Super Cabinet’, also assembled under Modi’s leadership. This marked the first such CCPA gathering since the 2019 Pulwama incident.
CCS and CCPA Hold Consecutive High-Level Sessions
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over several high-level cabinet meetings as India deliberated its response to a recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) held its second meeting of the day to discuss the changing national security situation. The CCS is responsible for taking key decisions on defense, intelligence, and strategic issues.
In the afternoon, there was a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), an uncommon occurrence in view of its rare but strategically crucial deliberations. Referred to as India's 'Super Cabinet', CCPA is an interface employed for political and economic problems that overlap with national security interests. The meeting highlighted the government's priority on collective inter-ministerial responses to incoming threats.
Context and Historical Precedent: Pulwama to Pahalgam
It is the inaugural CCPA meet after the Pulwama terrorist attack in 2019 in which 40 paramilitary troopers were martyred in a suicide bombing. After that attack, the very same committee had made quick retaliation decisions such as demoting Pakistan to 'Most Favoured Nation' trade status. That followed the Indian Air Force strikes in Balakot—a bold initiative that recharted India's counter-terror course.
By once more summoning the CCPA, the government indicates that it is taking the Pahalgam attack seriously. The attendance of top ministers—Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, and others—adds to the seriousness and urgency of the situation.
Strategic Coordination and Internal Security Oversight
The CCPA's mandate goes beyond national security to include political and economic policy coordination. The fact that it has met now indicates the government is not only evaluating the security ramifications of the Pahalgam attack but also considering how it might affect the political environment. Issues apparently debated were domestic stability, cross-border intelligence inputs, and possible diplomatic fallout.
This committee is also the focal one to harmonize the agendas of different ministries, particularly in the time of crisis necessitating a concerted administrative action. Through the concentration of commanders of major departments, the government has an expedited process of decision-making. The CCPA meeting is explained by analysts as a foretaste of firm diplomatic and, perhaps, military action, subject to changing estimates of intelligence.
Mobilization in Isolation Reflects Perceived Serious Threat
The frequency of CCPA meetings is employed to highlight the unusualness of Wednesday's meeting. Since the Pulwama terrorist attack, there has not been a reported meeting of the highest level of body. This shows that the Pahalgam attack is being taken seriously. The coincidence that CCS and CCPA are being summoned on the same day is employed to highlight the seriousness with which the government is approaching the issue.
No formal announcement declaring results has come out yet, but government officials indicate that course of action steps are being considered. These could range from measures of military readiness, diplomatic measure, and a review of security protocols in the area. Under the increased alert in sensitive areas, further events are expected to unfold in the coming days.
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