The thinking of those elements of the Pakistani establishment who are behind the attacks is clear. That the militants were from sections of that country's "deep state" is more than likely - the Indian army has exhibited packets of what appear to be military rations being carried by the gunmen who assaulted the camp. Furthermore, that very Friday a major rally was being addressed by terrorist mastermind Hafiz Saeed in Lahore - a man who is accused of being the motive force behind the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai, and yet is sufficiently powerful in Pakistan that the government reportedly ran special trains for his rally, instead of denying it the oxygen of publicity. In his speech, he said militants from Pakistan had "every right" to go to Kashmir. Altogether, this cannot be seen as anything but deliberate provocation: an attempt to destabilise the elections, reduce turnout and push the government in New Delhi into a narrative-changing response.
So far, New Delhi has kept its head, which is welcome. A hasty response would have been politically satisfying for many of the government's more shrill backers, but it would have been problematic in the medium to long term. It is notable that these attacks have come in spite of the long shelling on the border and the Line of Control by the Border Security Force, meant to prevent infiltration. Hopefully, this will aid the government in its realisation that more subtle methods will need to be used to ensure security in Kashmir and in the rest of India. The first and most important priority is demonstrating that the electoral process is paramount. A promise of free and fair elections is what distinguishes the Indian state, and that promise should be seen to be the