A name laden with symbolism and vengeance

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi named India’s retaliatory strike on terror bases in Pakistan ‘Operation Sindoor’, a name rich in symbolism and national sentiment. The mission was launched in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians were brutally killed — an act that left dozens of families shattered.

The name ‘Sindoor’, meaning vermilion, holds deep cultural significance in India. It is worn by Hindu women as a mark of marriage — a symbol of love, commitment and continuity. The Pahalgam attack not only claimed innocent lives but also tore families apart, widowing many women and scarring their futures.

Eyewitness accounts revealed the gruesome nature of the attack: Victims were rounded up, asked their religion and executed in front of their wives and children. Naming the operation Sindoor was thus a deliberate, poignant gesture — honouring those who lost their life partners and affirming that their pain would not go unanswered.

“Justice is served. Jai Hind.”

A graphic released by the Indian Army depicted the words ‘Operation Sindoor’ in bold. The second ‘O’ in the word ‘Sindoor’ is shown as a bowl of vermilion, with a spill of red, symbolising not just loss, but the bloodshed that left 25 women widowed. The caption read: “Justice is served. Jai Hind.”

The Pahalgam massacre crossed multiple red lines. Tourists were targeted. Victims were profiled and shot based on religion. Families watched helplessly as loved ones were executed before their eyes.

Images that surfaced in the aftermath deepened the nation’s grief. One showed Himanshi Narwal, a newlywed, with her wedding chooda still on her wrists, sitting beside the lifeless body of her husband, Indian Navy officer Lt. Vinay Narwal.

Another showed Pallavi Rao, who had recorded a cheerful video on a shikara the day before, now pleading for help after witnessing the murder of her husband, Manjunath Rao.