 "‘This is not an era of war, but it’s not an era of terrorism either': PM Modi on Operation Sindoor")
Three years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s widely lauded remark to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “this is not an era of war,” India now finds itself invoking a new doctrine amid heightened regional tensions — “this isn’t an era of terrorism either.”
The shift in tone comes as Pakistan-backed terror groups and the Pakistani military brought conflict perilously close to Indian soil, prompting Modi to reassert India’s commitment to peace but with a firmer line against terrorism.
Highlighting that unity is India’s greatest strength in the fight against all forms of terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed that while this era is not one of war, it cannot be one of terrorism either. “Zero tolerance against terrorism is the guarantee of a better and safer world”, he said.
Modi asserted that Pakistan’s military and government have continuously nurtured terrorism, warning that such actions will eventually lead to Pakistan’s own downfall. He declared that if Pakistan seeks survival, it must dismantle its terror infrastructure—there is no other path to peace. He reaffirmed India’s firm stance, stating that terror and talks cannot coexist, terror and trade cannot run parallel and blood and water cannot flow together.
Addressing the global community, he reiterated India’s long-standing policy that any discussions with Pakistan will focus solely on terrorism and any negotiations with Pakistan will center around Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
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View AllOperation Sindoor is not just a name but India’s latest policy against terror as it has set a new standard, a “new normal” in counter-terrorism measures, he added.
“Operation Sindoor was not just a name. Operation Sindoor is now India’s established policy in the fight against terrorism, marking a decisive shift in India’s strategic approach. The operation has set a new standard, a new normal in counter-terrorism measures,” he said.
“Today, every terrorist knows the consequences of wiping the sindoor off the foreheads of our sisters and daughters. Operation Sindoor is an unwavering pledge for justice. Terrorists dared to wipe the sindoor off the foreheads of our sisters, that is why India destroyed the very headquarters of terror,” Modi said.
India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 to destroy nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
All subsequent retaliations to Pakistani offensives were carried out under Operation Sindoor.
The two countries on Saturday announced arriving at an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea with immediate effect.
According to sources, it was Modi who picked the evocative term, “Operation Sindoor”, to code-name the Indian armed forces’ strikes on terror sites in Pakistan and PoK.
With terrorists in Pahalgam gunning down the 26 people, all men and mostly tourists, and the devastated wives of several of the victims becoming the face of the tragedy, the name “Operation Sindoor” was considered appropriate for the retaliatory exercise, the sources noted.
“Sindoor” (vermilion) is associated with married Hindu women in Indian tradition.
The picture of a distraught Himanshi Narwal sitting beside the body of her husband – Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal – in the Baisaran meadow, near the popular south Kashmir tourist town of Pahalgam, became the defining image of the tragedy, which sparked nationwide outrage and a demand for action against the terrorists and their handlers. The couple got married less than a week before the terror strike and was on honeymoon in Kashmir.
Dinesh Mirania of Raipur, Chhattisgarh and Neha had arrived in Kashmir to celebrate their wedding anniversary when the terrorists killed the former, while Kanpur-based businessman Shubham Dwivedi and Aishanya were there after tying the knot in February. Shubham Dwivedi was also among the 26 victims of the Pahalgam attack.
Several women accompanying the victims said the men were shot dead at point-blank range after religious profiling.
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