Remembering Pahalgam — and the response
I write this with a heavy heart and a clear mind. The Pahalgam attack of 22 April 2025 — which left 26 civilians dead in a small tourist village — was a shock to the nation and to anyone who believes in the basic dignity and safety of fellow human beings. Reporting and official summaries of the incident, and the actions that followed, make the timeline clear: grief and outrage were followed by a calibrated military response named Operation Sindoor, carried out in early May 2025 to dismantle terror infrastructure believed to be responsible for the strike Economic Times.
What the Prime Minister said on the anniversary
On the anniversary of Operation Sindoor the Prime Minister paid tribute to the armed forces, describing the operation as a "fitting response" that demonstrated courage, precision and resolve. In public statements and social posts he framed the operation as both punitive and defensive — a message that India will respond decisively when civilians are targeted and that national security institutions remain prepared and coordinated NDTV.
I note these remarks not to amplify politics but to underline how political leadership interprets military action for public reassurance. Words like "fitting response" carry legal, ethical and strategic weight: they promise proportionality, deterrence and the protection of citizens while signalling to adversaries and allies alike what the nation considers an acceptable threshold of provocation.
Why the phrase "fitting response" matters
A "fitting response" is not the same as an escalation for its own sake. In my view, it implies several things:
- proportionality — the response should match the scale and nature of the attack;
- clarity of purpose — the objective should be degrading the networks and capacity that enable such attacks;
- legal and political accountability — governments must articulate both the intelligence basis and the limits of action;
- deterrence — the aim is to raise the cost for those who sponsor or shelter terrorism.
Calling a military campaign "fitting" seeks to reassure domestic audiences and the international community that force was used with intent and restraint.
Role and achievements of the armed forces
Operation Sindoor was presented as a tri-service effort: precision strikes on terror launchpads, interdiction of logistics and degradation of command-and-control elements. The public narrative credits the armed forces with operational professionalism and jointness that reflected improved readiness and indigenous capability. Whether measured in disrupted terror infrastructure or in the lived sense of improved security for vulnerable communities, the armed services sought to translate public anger into constrained, effective action Times of India.
As a citizen, I respect the discipline and sacrifice of service members. Any evaluation of operations should balance operational success against costs, escalation risks, and the long-run need to remove the conditions that allow violence to take root.
Reactions: political leaders and local communities
Reactions to both the attack and the military response spanned the predictable spectrum: condemnation of the attackers; calls for justice from political leaders across the aisle; and deep, ongoing grief from the local community and families of victims. Local voices continue to emphasise the need for better protection of civilians, faster relief, and long-term measures to restore tourism and livelihoods in affected areas.
In public debate, some stress the necessity of strong deterrence; others warn against a cycle of retaliation that could imperil civilians or lead to wider conflict. Both lines of concern deserve attention.
Security implications and what this means going forward
Operation Sindoor and the anniversary message together underscore several security takeaways:
- India is signalling deterrence: attacks on civilians will attract a coordinated response.
- Tri-service readiness and indigenous defence capabilities are central to both operational success and political signalling.
- Diplomatic and covert measures (intelligence pressure, sanctions on networks, international cooperation) must accompany kinetic action to close the space in which terrorism thrives.
- There is a continuing need to protect communities on the ground and to invest in resilience — from local policing to emergency response and economic recovery.
My concluding thought — a continuity of perspective
I have long argued that robust security policy must be joined to political imagination: that is, a nation must be able to defend itself while also working toward durable solutions that reduce the incentives and capacities for violence (see my earlier reflections on the Kashmir conundrum and the long-term costs of perpetual confrontation in A Contrarian View). Operation Sindoor, and the way its anniversary was commemorated, show a state resolving to protect its citizens. The real test now is to combine deterrence with prevention — security with reconciliation where possible — so that tragedies like Pahalgam become memories we learn from, not repetitions we dread.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
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