Operation Sindoor, India’s measured response to the Pahalgam attack, was unprecedented on so many levels. For one, the boldness of the strike deep inside the Pakistani ‘mainland’ has, in addition to showcasing our military prowess, “demonstrated India’s growing resolve to root out terrorism, no matter how far, how deep”, says Cmde Srikant Kesnur, an Indian Navy veteran.Yet, for all its capabilities, India has shown restraint, choosing to only attack terror infrastructure, thus preventing an escalation. “There was an enemy headquarters mere kilometres away from one of the nine sites we hit at Bahawalpur. But that wasn’t our target, was it?” points out Siachen hero Lt Gen Sanjay Kulkarni.“Our fight is and always has been,” the veteran elaborates, “against terror outfits, and if this happens to manifest in Pakistan, well, that’s just bad luck for them.”Two, the precision of the strike was matched by the transparency with which news of the development was briefed to the nation — by a three-person panel comprising foreign secretary Vikram Misri, Wg Cdr Vyomika Singh and Col Sofiya Qureshi.“They walked us through everything – why these nine sites were targeted, what’s out there, and with clear visuals of the strike. It was surgical, and the entire operation, well thought-out,” explains Col S Dinny (retd), who served several tenures in counter-terrorism operations in J&K.Cmde Srikant says it is a lesson out of 2019’s Balakot airstrike and its post-operation fizz. “Earlier, commanders never thought it necessary to gather ‘proof’, but post-Balakot, there is a realisation that a lack of palpable evidence allows narratives to spiral. This time, that gap was closed,” says Cmde Kesnur, former director of Maritime Warfare Centre.“After all, battlefields today are more transparent – artificially, perhaps, but perception matters,” he adds. It signals, if anything, an India that has come to accept new age realities. Cmde G Prakash says, “India’s reaction has not been emotional. We’ve also taken the effort to show the world a broader context – the long-standing link between Pakistan and terrorism.”Third, the optics, and Cmde G Prakash, who has extensive experience in operations and policy making, says, “the press briefing oozed in symbolism.”Indeed, you have the foreign secretary flanked by two senior women officers – one a Hindu, another a Muslim. Vikram, a civilian, in their midst – someone who was born and raised in Kashmir and who know the issues there well.“Fittingly, the operation was called Sindoor,” points out Col Dinny, “and we all know what it signifies and how it refers back to the Pahalgam incident – yet another layer of messaging.”
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