Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 8 - The Indian EYE 051526
P. 8

    EYE ON INDIA                                                              MAY 15, 2026     |  The Indian Eye                    8

            One Year After Operation Sindoor, India

                    Sends a Clear Warning to Pakistan

              On the anniversary of Operation Sindoor, India used military messaging, diplomatic signalling

            and political rhetoric to underline a new doctrine of zero tolerance against cross-border terrorism.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            Chinese  military  systems  including
                                                                                                                  ships, aircraft and submarines.
            New Delhi
                                                                                                                      The  messaging  suggests  India
                   ne year after Operation Sin-                                                                   increasingly views Pakistan’s military
                   door  reshaped  the  military                                                                  posture not in isolation but as part of
            Oand  political  landscape  be-                                                                       a broader regional security challenge
            tween India and Pakistan, New Delhi                                                                   involving China.
            is using the anniversary not merely to                                                                    Yet the anniversary also revealed
            commemorate  a  counter-terror  op-                                                                   another  important  dimension:  In-
            eration but to send an unmistakable                                                                   dia’s attempt to shape international
            strategic message across the border:                                                                  perception.
            India’s response doctrine has funda-                                                                      Officials  repeatedly  highlighted
            mentally changed.                                                                                     that  Operation  Sindoor  exercised
                The  anniversary  events,  state-                                                                 “operational ethics” and restraint to
            ments from senior ministers and re-                                                                   avoid  civilian  harm.  This  emphasis
            marks  by  top  military  commanders                                                                  appears  designed  to  position  India
            together  reflected  a  carefully  coor-                                                              as  a  responsible  power  conducting
            dinated  signal  that  India  now  con-                                                               counter-terror  operations  rather
            siders cross-border terror infrastruc-                                                                than  engaging  in  indiscriminate  es-
            ture fair game, regardless of location                                                                calation.
            or  depth  inside  Pakistan  and  Paki-                                                                   That  distinction  matters  diplo-
            stan-occupied  Jammu  and  Kashmir   Former DGMO Lt. Gen. Rajiv Ghai, Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Lt Gen Zubil A.   matically.  Since  the  2019  Balakot
            (PoJK).                            Minwalla, Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar and Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod during a press confer-  airstrikes, India has steadily pushed
                External Affairs Minister S. Jais-   ence over Operation Sindoor Anniversary, in Jaipur on Thursday (ANI Photo)  the  argument  that  states  facing
            hankar described Operation Sindoor                                                                    cross-border  terrorism  possess  the
            as proof of India’s determination to                                                                  right  to  conduct  precise  retaliatory
            ensure accountability for terrorism.  actions in recent years.      would decide “the conditions, timing   action. Operation Sindoor appears to
                “A year ago, #OperationSindoor    What  distinguished  the  oper-  and method” of future action.  have expanded that doctrine further.
            demonstrated the nation’s resolve to   ation  was  not  only  the  scale  of  the   “We  will  hit  everything,”  Ghai   Pakistan’s  response  at  the  time
            defend  itself  against  cross-border   strikes but also the doctrine behind   stated.  “Some  of  these  camps  and   — involving drone attacks and shell-
            terrorism from Pakistan,” Jaishankar   them.  Indian  officials  repeatedly   launch  pads  have  moved  further  in   ing — led to a four-day military con-
            wrote on X. “Under the leadership   emphasised  that  the  campaign  was   depth, where they feel that they will   frontation  before  a  ceasefire  was
            of PM Narendra Modi, India stands   “intelligence-led,”  “targeted”  and   be safer. But as I said, no sanctuary   reached on May 10, 2025. Indian of-
            strong  and  determined  to  convey  a   designed  to  minimise  civilian  casu-  is safe.”           ficials now portray that outcome as
            message of zero tolerance for terror-  alties while directly attacking terror   The  remarks  were  aimed  as   evidence of military superiority and
            ism.”                             infrastructure.                   much  at  deterrence  as  at  domes-  strategic preparedness.
                The  language  was  significant   The anniversary statements sug-  tic  audiences.  India  appears  intent   Minister  of  State  for  External
            because  it  reinforced  what  offi-  gest that doctrine is now institution-  on  demonstrating  that  retaliatory   Affairs  Pabitra  Margherita  said  the
            cials increasingly describe as India’s   alised.                    strikes are no longer exceptional re-  world had witnessed that “those who
            “new normal” in dealing with Paki-    Former  Director  General  of   sponses but part of a standing strate-  threaten  India’s  peace  and  security
            stan-backed terror networks.      Military Operations Rajiv Ghai de-  gic framework.                  can  never  escape  the  reach  of  our
                Operation Sindoor was launched   clared that Indian intelligence agen-  At  the  same  time,  Indian  offi-  forces.”
            on May 7, 2025, after the Pahalgam   cies continue to track terror camps   cials  also  used  the  anniversary  to   For  domestic  audiences,  Oper-
            terror attack that killed 26 civilians.   across  the  border  and  warned  that   highlight concerns over the growing   ation Sindoor has become a symbol
            India  responded  with  coordinat-  “no sanctuary” remains safe.    China-Pakistan military relationship.  of national resolve and military con-
            ed  strikes  on  nine  terror  launch-  “We’ve  identified  terror  launch   Ghai  noted  that  nearly  80  per   fidence.
            pads  linked  to  Lashkar-e-Taiba,   pads, terror camps, terror infrastruc-  cent  of  Pakistan’s  military  equip-  And  for  the  region,  one  year
            Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mu-   ture across the line of control,” Ghai   ment  is  of  Chinese  origin,  while   later, the operation marks a turning
            jahideen across the Line of Control   said at a press conference in Jaipur.   Vice  Admiral  AN  Pramod  pointed   point  in  the  India-Pakistan  security
            and deeper inside Pakistani territory.  “No sanctuary across the line of con-  to Beijing’s diplomatic posture after   equation  —  one  where  deterrence
                According  to  officials,  the  op-  trol is safe.”             the Pahalgam attack and increasing   is increasingly being defined not by
            eration  eliminated  more  than  100   He further invoked Prime Min-  Chinese defence exports to Pakistan.  restraint  alone,  but  by  the  willing-
            terrorists and marked one of India’s   ister  Narendra  Modi’s  formulation   “The  best  of  the  platforms  are   ness to strike back with precision and
            most extensive cross-border military   of  a  “new  normal,”  saying  India   given,”  Pramod  said,  referring  to   speed.

                                                                   www.TheIndianEYE.com

| 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 |