Tag: Operation Sindoor

‘Poonch People Want Peace; War Only Brings Misery to Border Areas’

By LokMarg

Meha Dixit, a writer & researcher, recounts her days in Poonch during Operation Sindoor and the hardships faced by civilians trapped in the conflict zone.

On 8 May, 2025, when I arrived in Mendhar in the border district of Poonch from Srinagar, the local journalists had asked me to reach the same hotel where I had stayed previously in November 2024. This time, due to dangerous escalation between India and Pakistan along the LoC, with the hotel in the firing range, the entire staff had left for relatively “safer” locations. After handing me the keys of two rooms, the hotel owner too left for his home.The front room was capaciouswith large glass windows; the other room was cramped, which the hotel owner said, could beused as a shelter in case of heavy cross-border shelling.

Significantly, since Operation Sindoor was launched on the intervening night of 6-7 May, until the ceasefire, the mainstream media was virtually absent, with only a few local journalists covering the conflict in the Poonch district.

Since the day I landed in Mendhar, for seven days, until the 15th morning, I was alone in the two-storeyed hotel. On the evening of 8 May, around 7:30 pm, the juddering sound of shelling began to pound the border town. The streets were empty and grief-stricken with the howling of dogs growing louder. I ended up staying in Mendhar for 11 days, visiting several border villages such as Mankote, Bhera Dhaki, Sakhi Maidan, Chhajla, Dharana, and Bhera.

When I reached Bhera with three local journalists, the intermittent shelling started from across the border and we were required to exercise extreme caution. During my stay, the local journalists and some residents, who had not migrated to safer locations, were extremely supportive, even sending me home-cooked meals.  During the last three days of my trip, I ended up staying with a local family.

ALSO READ: ‘News Anchor Whipped Up War Hysteria In Studios’

During the escalation along the LoC, Poonch turned into a ghost town, and most people from Mendharhad migrated to other relatively safer locations, such as Ari, Arni, Topa, Pathana Tir, and even Rajouri and Jammu.In Bhera Dhaki, a resident told me, “During heavy shelling, the entire village had moved to safer areas, mostly at their relatives’ homes. During the first night of heavy shelling, we tried to protect ourselves by laying on the floor. The next morning we left our village and returned only after the ceasefire.”

All the border residents, particularly the affected families I interacted with, said that they were unprepared for the dangerous escalation along the LoC after Operation Sindoor was launched. They said, had there been adequate number of bunkers in the Poonch district, precious lives could have been saved.The residents of Bhera Dhaki are even offering to provide land for the construction of bunkers.

The people of Poonch are especially enraged with the mainstream media for being insensitive to their woes and spreading false information during four days of dangerous escalation along the LoC. In one instance, a respected religious leader from Poonch, who lost his life during the shelling, was falsely accused of being a terrorist by some channels. The residents, to different communities, including Hindus, were infuriated with this false claim.

Most residents I spoke to called for peace between India and Pakistan. For them, military confrontation is not the solution since the common people, particularly those residing along the border on both sides, bear the brunt of cross-border shelling. As a resident of Mendhar told me, “While political leaders comfortably sitting in their air-conditioned, posh rooms make the decisions regarding war, ultimately it is us who have to suffer the consequences.”

I don’t think that such operations can prevent terrorist attacks in the future. Like the border residents said, “Military confrontation between the two belligerent neighbours is not the solution.”

The region of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh is a nuclear flashpoint. Any future military confrontation is likely to bring both India and Pakistan to the brink of a nuclear war, with a superpower like China with its strategic interests in Ladakh, being increasingly involved. This would only bring misery to the civilian population.

India and Pakistan have already fought four wars since 1947. These were the 1947-1948, 1965, 1971 and 1999 Kargil War; yet, terrorist attacks have continued in J&K. Were we able to reach a détente and ‘permanent peace’ in the region? No!

These wars only brought misery to the border residents — the  Balti, Shina, and Hindu communities in Jammu being divided eternally. Besides, the villages along the international border have frequently witnessed low-intensity conflict. I believe a dialogue between the two countries can be the only solution.

(The narrator, a PhD in International Politics from JNU, Dellhi, has worked at Save the Children, Amnesty International, as Senior Consultant/Co-advisor with Ernst & Young, and has briefly taught at the Kashmir University, Srinagar. She is the author of Piece of War: Narratives of Resilience and Hope (SAGE 2020), the culmination of over a decade of field research in conflict and ‘post–conflict’ zones in South Asia, Middle East and West Africa. She is currently working on two books: ‘Post Abrogation Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh: Gender, Intersectionality and Peace– Building, and ‘Territory & Turmoil: Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan’, (co-edited by Dr Saranjam Baig from Pakistan). Both books will be published in 2025 by Routledge.)

As told to Amit Sengupta

‘My Chest Swelled With Pride to See Col Sofiya & Wg Cmdr Vyomika on Dais’

By LokMarg

Mohammad Imran, a PO Naval NCC Cadet Lucknow Unit, says India not only gave a befitting military response to Pakistan but also sent a layered message to the world.

While every Indian has full faith in the bravery and capability of Indian Armed Forces, it was heartening for every countryman to see when the news about Operation Sindoor was presented by two women officers – Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. It gave a layered message to the world about India’s progressive image where women stood shoulder to shoulder when it came to the defence of our borders and our motherland.

As an aspiring defence officer, my heart swelled with pride when I saw the two graceful lady officers spell out every detail of the military operation in crisp, military style. The confidence reflected on their faces and their body language was beyond description.

I followed every bit of news about these two officers and was immensely moved by the reaction of Col Qureshi’s mother who gave an awe-inspiring message: educate your daughters to serve the country first. Going by the poise of both the officers who briefed us on day-to-day basis about the damage inflicted on Pakistan, every Indian citizen must have felt safe.

ALSO READ: ‘As A Soldier’s Wife, I Knew Strength Comes From Resolve’

India has never been an aggressor. We do not initiate war, we do we eek to usurp other people’s land, nor do we target innocent civilians to serve out military objectives. But once we are provoked, we hit hard and this is what we have proven to the world today by Operation Sindoor. It was justice – well delivered in the right possible manner. And this message was aptly delivered by the two lady officers.

In a powerful and symbolic move, and the presence of the two women officers also paid a fitting tribute to the widows of the Pahalgam victims as well as highlighted India’s bold stance against terrorism. It also sent a strong message of women leadership, national unity, and communal harmony on a global stage. Nothing should have been more important as messaging for a country that’s secular and dynamic in its approach to bringing their women at the forefront.

Imran is a PO NCC Caded in Lucknow Unit

For the past decades, India has been witnessing the prowess of Nari Shakti at key positions, be it in our central cabinet, political ranks, or the armed forces. There couldn’t have been a better message to the whole world. I am sure this will inspire many of our youths to follow the path taken up by these lady officers.

Being an NCC Cadet, I rejoiced the moment with my core team and team leaders at our battalion. With all the false claims made by Pakistan and their ­B-team in India including politicians and those having enormous social media followings, we have proved ourselves and our guts in all the aspects: be it warfare, social media, international diplomacy. We are roaring ahead of times gathering international followers and in times to come, we are set to rule the world.

As told to Rajat Rai

‘War Can’t Bring A Lasting Solution; Terror From Pakistan Won’t Stop’

By LokMarg

Ravinder Kumar Bhanot, a Chandigarh-based social activist, says while military strikes offer short-term relief, lasting peace warrants a long-term strategy. His views:

The devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including tourists and locals, sent shockwaves across the nation. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, a series of missile strikes targeting alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir leading to escalations in military operations on both sides.

The human cost of these conflicts is immeasurable. Families living along the Line of Control have faced relentless shelling, leading to the destruction of homes, schools, and places of worship. The psychological trauma inflicted upon these communities, especially children, is profound and long-lasting. And hence I firmly believe that peace is the only viable path forward.

History has shown us that war is not a solution to any problem; conflicts like the USA versus Vietnam, the USA versus Russia in Afghanistan, and of late Russia against Ukraine have only led to devastation on both sides.

While I am not a resident of a border area, I believe that India’s decision to target terror bases in Pakistan was justified. Pakistan has long been notorious for supporting terrorism, and with backing from China and the USA, they may have felt invincible. India’s actions served as a necessary reality check.

On the surface, these actions appear to have been successful. However, the forces involved would be better judges of their overall effectiveness.

That said, I do not believe this will stop terrorist activities from across the border. Pakistan’s support for terrorism is deeply entrenched, and unless all terror bases in Pakistan are completely dismantled, these activities will continue.

ALSO READ: ‘Op Sindoor Struck Only aThe Symptoms of Problem’

India needs to secure solid global support, similar to what was achieved during Dr. Manmohan Singh’s tenure. Additionally, decisive actions to neutralize all terror bases and armament depots in Pakistan, including their nuclear facilities, could significantly weaken Pakistan’s capabilities.

I am uncertain about engaging in dialogue with Pakistan. Past experiences indicate that Pakistan has not acknowledged previous dialogues. Any future discussions should involve a mature ally—not the USA or China.

To effectively address the issue, cutting all trade ties with Pakistan could be a strategic move. When a country’s financial power is diminished, it becomes significantly weakened. Currently, Pakistan is facing a severe food crisis, with reports indicating a shortage of over five million tons of wheat expected next year. By severing trade relations, India could exert economic pressure that might compel Pakistan to reconsider its stance.

While military actions may provide short-term solutions, lasting peace can only be achieved through sustained diplomatic efforts and strategic economic measures.

As told to Mamta Sharma

‘As A Soldier’s Wife I Know Strength Comes From Resolve, Nor Revenge’

By LokMarg

Saroj Karwasra, who prays for lasting peace, says Indian attack on Pakistani terror camps was less an act of retaliation and more a step to protect its citizens’ future. Her views:

As the wife of a retired army officer, I have seen the reality behind the headlines. I have lived through the worry when my husband was posted at the border, and I have heard stories that most people only read about in newspapers. Over the years, I have learned to stay calm in the face of uncertainty, to smile even when I was terrified inside, and to always hope that peace would one day prevail.

That’s why, when India launched an attack on terrorist camps across the border, I felt it was a necessary step, not out of aggression but out of the need to protect our own. Enough innocent lives have been lost, and it’s time we took a firm stand.

This isn’t about politics. It’s personal for me, and for every family that’s lived through the pain of losing a loved one to terrorism. We’ve stayed quiet for too long, lighting candles after every attack, offering our condolences, and moving on because what else could we do? But not this time. This time, India stood up and said, “Enough.” And I couldn’t be prouder.

The attack on terror camps wasn’t an act of hate; it was an act of self-defence. For once, we sent a message that our silence should not be mistaken for weakness. We didn’t go after civilians or peace; we went after those who train and fund terror. Whether the mission was a “success” in military terms, I cannot say. But emotionally, it was. It brought dignity to those we lost. It reminded the world that India will no longer weep quietly.

Terrorism is like a poison it takes time to defang. And this strike was a strong first dose of the antidote. Of course, military action alone is not enough. We must also take harder decisions on the ground. India needs to rethink who we open our doors to. We must be cautious about migration, especially from across the border.

The Karwasra couple prays for lasting peace on border

We should pause and review the treaties and agreements with Pakistan and ask honestly, are they helping us, or hurting us? If they are not in our national interest, we have every right to step back. Because peace, however noble, should never come at the cost of our people’s safety.

ALSO READ: ‘Op Sindoor Followed Yudh Dharma, Didn’t Target Civilians’

Now, there are voices that say we should talk to Pakistan. Believe me, no one wants peace more than a soldier’s family. We know what war looks like, we live with its scars long after the firing stops. But dialogue requires trust. And trust has been broken too many times.

Maybe someday, when both nations truly want peace not just on paper but in spirit we can sit and talk like neighbors. But until that day comes, India must continue to protect its own. No more empty promises. No more folded flags handed to mothers and wives with trembling hands and broken hearts.

As a soldier’s wife, I’ve learned that strength is not about anger, but about quiet, steady resolve. And in that moment when India struck back, I felt a strange sense of peace because finally, we stood up not just for the fallen, but for the living. For every soldier at the border, for every child who deserves to grow up without fear and for every citizen who believes in justice.

And that, I truly believe, is what justice looks like.

As told to Deepti Sharma

‘Op Sindoor Followed Yudh Dharma By Not Targeting Innocent Civilians’

By LokMarg

Aman Dubey, a research scholar in Lucknow University, says in its war against terror across border, India decisively proved its superiority on diplomatic and military fronts. His views:

When Indian armed forced launched Operation Sindoor in response to the cowardly Pahalgam terrorist attack on innocent tourists, I was both anxious and supportive of the Indian strategy to strike at the heart of terror bases across the border. In the quick time that our forced carried out the mission, every Indian must feel proud of the country’s professional and measured respose.

First, the message was loud and clear: This is a new and transformed India, an India that did not rush to America or any other western power for support but opened the multiple offensive fronts to bring Pakistan on its knees in a matter of few days. This was evident from the fact that it was Pakistan which rushed to all the superpowers and the OIC countries pleading for help and interference but all (except Turkey) turned deaf ears to its pleas.

Second, Operation Sindoor proved to be a new dawn for the defence mechanism and hi-tech weaponry that India has added to its armour in the past few years. Be it the indigenously designed and produced drones and the Air Defense Systems or the co-produced Brahmos and other lethal missiles.

All our defence apparatus and weapons performed to 100 per cent of its capacity sending jitters to the enemies and their associates besides dropping the jaws of the self-proclaimed masters and developers of similar technologies. India has now emerged as a regional superpower much to the surprise of the entire world.

ALSO READ: ‘We Pray For Peace But Are Prepared For War’

The operation also witnessed the transformation of the defence infrastructure to the non contact war model as compared to the earlier Uri surgical strike and the Balakot aerial attack that were based on the traditional war model. Op Sindoor also transformed India into a rule setter in the military interface. While avenging the Pahalgam terror attack by missile attacks on terror camps inside Pakistan, it was commendable that the enemy could not penetrate our air space. The biggest gem in the crown for India was that it not only destroyed Pakistan’s ADS, it also attacked and damaged its air bases in quick time.

The biggest achievement of the current conflict was that we started and paused the offensive at will. None of the bigwigs of the world even tried to come to the front (to deescalate) besides America that first boasted of ‘forcefully’ mediating the ceasefire but later backed off (after the strict stance of India) declaring itself a mere spectator to the entire process. India stood firm and resolute that it stopped the assault after Pak DGMO pleaded and no other country interfered or forced them to enter the deal. In addition, India has firmly said that the operation has just paused and not stopped giving sleepless nights to enemies. Another aspect of the offensive was that India stuck to its values and ‘Dharma’ and did not attack civilians.

As our PM Narendra Modi has vehemently declared, that this is the new normal for India and that terrorism would be met with decisive force, rejecting any possibility of dialogue or trade with Pakistan until terrorism is addressed. We, as Indians and the generation that has the responsibility of carrying forward this New India on its shoulders, stand a proud witness to the success and intensity of operation Sindoor and will carry forward the legacy with honour.

As told to Rajat Rai

‘Our News Anchors Whipped Up War Hysteria in Bollywood Style’

By LokMarg

Nakul Singh Sawhney, an independent filmmaker, wonders if people will ever know the truth behind India-Pak conflict because the media has forgotten its role. His views:

As the dust begins to settle on the latest Indo-Pak conflict following Operation Sindoor, a careful analysis reveals that we are left with more questions than answers. Claims and counterclaims from governments on both sides of the border are being made. Both sides are claiming ‘victory’. Pakistan celebrated 10 May as ‘Victory Day’ against India. And the BJP is undertaking a 10-day Tiranga Yatra to commemorate the success of Operation Sindoor.

Both sides have their versions of army, civilian, and terrorist casualties. So, what is the truth?

One may never know. After all, the media, the fourth pillar of our democracy, is supposed to be the harbinger of truth. Yet, if anything, it was this pillar that crumbled during this entire episode. 

Indeed, the state of the majority of Indian media is scaryto say the least. Most of them used a war-like situation to increase their view count, created non-stop frenzy, and peddled fake news all through the conflict. A very delicate situation was exploited for personal gain. There was a ‘romanticising’ of the conflict, as if a Bollywood film was running.

A news channel informed us that India had taken over Lahore, another said that Islamabad was under siege, yet another claimed that many big cities of Pakistan had been captured, and the Pakistani army had surrendered. A missile had landed just 20 km away from Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s house.

One news anchor proudly advised Pakistani children to refrain from drawing their national maps that night, since their country’s national borders would be redrawn soon. In an even more shocking incident, a diplomatic stir erupted between Iran and India after a retired Major and TV anchor, Gaurav Arya, called the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, son of a pig on his channel, Chanakya Dialogues.

Amid this frenzy, 16 civilians, including five children, were killed in the border area in Poonch, a town in Jammu near the LoC, after intense shelling by the Pakistani army. As testosterone levels exploded in newsrooms, the reality of Poonch did not even find a mention.

Of course, people living in the border towns of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat couldn’t enjoy the war the way the media wanted. For them, it wasn’t a video game being played at someone else’s expense.

ALSO READ: ‘Border Area Residents Prepared For War But Pray For Peace’

Ironically, none of the channels sprouting fake news was banned or reprimanded by the state. Instead, websites and/or social media handles and independent news portals were blocked, and no explanation was offered. What sort of a message was the Indian State sending out?

Since the Modi government has come to power, more and more mainstream media channels have stopped asking questions from the Centre. They have become, instead, amplifiers of the Indian government’s positions.

Ironically, these channels are often seen questioning the opposition parties. Islamophobic content has become the norm. Ground reports are a thing of the past, and studio rants and chest-thumping screeching dominate prime time. ‘News’ channels have been reduced to the most vulgar and voyeuristic forms of entertainment.

Some serious questions could have been raised in the media after the last conflict. What happened to the four terrorists who carried out that demonic and cowardly attack against innocent tourists in Pahalgam on April 22?

For anyone willing to scratch beneath the surface, a worrying reality is staring India in the face. Our diplomatic relations with many South Asian neighbours, and even other countries, globally, are beginning to fray. How and why have things come to such a pass?

Many more such uncomfortable questions could be asked. But these issues will never make it to the mainstream media. Their full-time job is now to venerate our supreme leader and cover up the glaring failures of this government. If the media is indeed the fourth pillar of our democracy, then this malaise is symbolic of not just the media, but also of a gradually crumbling democracy.

As Aeschylus once said, “The first casualty when war comes is truth.” That, unfortunately, seems to be the consistent casualty in the Indian media today, war or no war.

(The narrator is the founder of a film and media collective in western Uttar Pradesh called ChalChitra Abhiyaan. His prominent films include Izzatnagari ki Asabhya Betiyaan and Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai…)

As told to Amit Sengupta

The Politics of Symbolism

By Amit Sengupta

Around 4 am, May 7, 2025, when the first, fated crow was about to sing its sweetest early morning song, a writer-friend called from Srinagar. Her voice sounded urgent, but not scared or desperate.

She said what seems like Chinook war helicopters seem to be hovering over her hotel, there is intense shelling at the border near Poonch, one Indian woman has been reportedly killed, the locals there have switched off their lights and have come out of their homes, and they are all crying. She said she must go there now with a journalist because she is writing a book about life and times in border areas of conflict zones.

She knows her mind. She has covered the war-ravaged borders of Afghanistan, enslaved child soldiers of blood-diamond’s bloody lanes in Sierre Leone, among other tragic zones which have left their indelible scars on the body, the mind, and the landscape. She is, obviously, a brave woman.

Operation Sindoor. In the first instance, being a small town boy from the melting-jaggery, mustard  flowers, sugar cane belt of western UP, my first memory was a tacky tear-jerker called Udhar ka Sindoor, a Jeetendra-Reena Roy-Asha Parekh starrer released in 1976.

Why Operation Sindoor?

Then, as the collective of crows started waking up, and Melody Queen Koel waited for the first light of dawn, I remembered the only dead crow in Balakot, with a madrassa of small kids nearby. Reportedly only a crow was killed as collateral damage along with some trees. A crater was found. Most of the Western media reported similar ground stories — No terrorist target was hit by India in Balakot.

The mainline Indian media, especially the chest-thumping, jingoistic-jokers on TV, went berserk in celebration. So much like when the Ram Mandir was being inaugurated before the 2024 parliamentary elections, whereby, they lost so badly in Ayodhya.

Yes, we will know — by and by. The dead crow of Balakot will stand as a testimony from the past.

Poonch. The Al Jazeera report had a slug: Explosions in India-adminstered Kashmir. “Video filmed in Indian-administered Kashmir capture loud explosions and smoke around the town of Poonch near the Line of Control as Pakistan promised a “robust response” to a series of Indian attacks.

Amidst the explosions, what did I see?

Birds. And flocks of black crows flying hither and thither, desperate in the toxic haze of smoke. Almost like that ‘last painting’ of an exiled artist, picturised so beautifully, and poignantly, in that short film by great Japanese filmmaker, Akira Kurosawa, as a tribute to the solitary genius of amazingly pulsating and impossible colours: Van Gogh.

Yes, I could also hear the birds tweet. My heart beats seemed to become faster. Their tweets, as sweet as always.

The war hysteria created in India over the last few days was predictable. Apart from the eternal communal polarization card, that is their bread and butter – backed by the army of war-mongers on TV (also print), the relentless trolls, the mindless fanatics. Not one of them would ask, what any sensible journalist should have been asking — after Pulwama happened.

So,  how did these armed, apparently fully-trained terrorists, enter a paradise-like, hyper-sensitive, fully protected conflict zone in the Valley, crowded by Indian tourists day after day, especially during summer, identify and kill Hindu men (also, one Kashmiri Muslim pony-wallah who died defending a Hindu family), and get away so damn easily?

Why was not even one security personnel present? Where were they, pray?

No check-posts? No barricades? No barbed wires, as in all over Srinagar, like an art intallation?

No CCTV cameras? No drones snooping in the air? No warnings to the innocent tourists? Despite a reported intel alert?

So did the PM actually cancel his visit to Kashmir, despite an ‘intel report’, as the Congress president is asking? And why did he visit Madhubani in Bihar instead, in apparent poll mode, making 56-inch threats, when he should have been with the bereaved families, or checking out the serious security lapses?

Said Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress chief (Telegraph, April 7, 2025, PTI report): “I got information that three days before the attack, an intelligence report was sent to Modiji, and that is why Modiji cancelled his visit to Kashmir… When an intelligence report says that it is not proper to visit there for your security, why did you not inform your security, intelligence, local police and the border force to protect people? When you got the information, you cancelled your programme but did not send more forces to protect tourists there…”

Or, did Pahalgam remind of the ‘shoot’ happening in a wild life sanctuary, while 40 soldiers were butchered on a highly protected highway in Pulwama?

In the first instance, why were they not air-lifted? Why choose a long road which could be dangerous? Is the then governor, correct, when he makes such serious allegations? How come a lone suicide bomber rode an SUV with loads of RDX, (perhaps on the wrong side?), bypass the armed check-posts, the cameras, the armed patrols, and hit the convoy, as in a C-grade Hollywood movie?

Remember that famous interview done with great scientific gravitas given to a TV channel? The PM said: “The weather suddenly turned bad, there were clouds… heavy rain. There was a doubt about whether we can go in the clouds. During a review (of the Balakot plan), by and large the opinion of experts was — what if we change the date. I had two issues in mind. One was secrecy… second, I said I am not someone who knows the science. I said there is so much cloud and rain. There is a benefit. I have a raw wisdom, the clouds can benefit us too. We can escape the radar. Everyone was confused. Ultimately I said there are clouds… let’s proceed.”

Besides, soon after the Pulwama killings, the Congress had alleged that the PM was shooting a “promotional film” at the Jim Corbett National Park at a time when the country was mourning. Government sources denied the charge. There was a 25-minute delay in informing him because of bad weather and poor network coverage, they said.

It was great to see the briefing on ‘Operation Sindoor’ by two women officers — Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi. Media reports claim that the name of the operation was a tribute to the women who lost their husbands in the terror attack. Choosing two young women officers too was praised as part of the same thread.

“Terror targets were chosen based on credible intelligence and their involvement in cross-border terrorism. No military installation was targeted in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor,” Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said, speaking after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. She also announced that nine terrorist camps were destroyed.

Earlier, the army had issued a balanced statement, saying the missile attacks were “focused, measured and non-escalatory”. All the three terms are strategic, implying that no civilian or military positions were intentionally targeted – and that this is not a declaration of war.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has claimed to have shot down three Indian jets. India has made no such claims. One, they claimed, was shot down near Bhatinda. Reports say that Akali Khurd, a village near Bathinda, witnessed an aircraft crash around 2 am on Wednesday. One labourer has been killed, and several injured.

Besides, the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) have apparently slammed the Indian attack (with potential fall-outs in the Middle-East), Donald Trump is in the loop saying this fight has been on for “many many decades and centuries”! “I hope it just ends very quickly,” he said. The Western countries have asked for restraint, and so has the UN, with its Security Council reportedly closeted on this issue.

Predictably, some women have reacted to the term ‘Operation Sindoor’. One journalist posted the pictures of the men killed in Pahalgam in a social media post with a cryptic comment: Were they all only husbands? There was a father, brother and son too. Operation Sindoor reeks of patriarchy, avenging woman’s honour, etc. Others have called it regressive, sindoor and mangalsutra, that is all they think of, when it comes to women.

Others have argued that this is an old ploy. If men are killed or targeted, let the women be weaponised. Use women as weapons of war, morally, emotionally, as propaganda, as battle.

A social media post by a woman said: On principle, I object strongly to the label Operation Sindoor. It reeks of patriarchy, ownership of women, “honour” killings, chastity, sacralising the institution of marriage, and similar Hindutva obsessions.

In response, another woman posted: Particularly after several Indian men were shaming the wife of an officer killed in the attack just because she requested peace to be maintained within communities and nations.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of LokMarg)