Opinion | After Pahalgam: How Operation Sindoor Redefined India’s Counter-Terror Approach

After the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor marked a clear shift, signalling that India has moved beyond an era where attacks were followed primarily by diplomatic responses. The message was not only conveyed through military action, but also through the visible rejection of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism by people on the streets of Kashmir.

Although it may seem that no further clarification is needed on how Pakistan, over decades, has attempted to mislead sections of Kashmiri society in the name of jihad, fostering radicalisation and normalising violence, it is still important to revisit the pattern that followed. For years, terror attacks were met with a calibrated Indian response that leaned towards restraint, dialogue, and strategic patience. Incidents like the 2001 Indian Parliament attack pushed relations to the brink. India mobilised forces, tensions escalated, and diplomatic ties nearly collapsed. Yet, within a relatively short span, backchannel efforts resumed, eventually leading to the 2003 ceasefire and a revival of dialogue. The sequence became predictable: attack, escalation, and then engagement. A similar approach was visible after the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack. Despite the gravity of the attack, India did not entirely shut the door on diplomacy. In fact, it went as far as allowing a Pakistani investigative team to visit the airbase, signalling a continued willingness to engage even in the face of provocation.

Over time, however, this pattern appeared to reinforce a sense of impunity. The expectation that dialogue would eventually resume, regardless of the scale of violence, seemed deeply entrenched. The turning point came with the 2019 Pulwama attack. India’s response in the form of the Balakot airstrikes marked a clear departure from the past. For the first time in recent history, the response was not just diplomatic or symbolic, but direct and assertive, signalling that the threshold for tolerance had fundamentally changed. Today, the Pahalgam terror attack stands as another painful reminder of that long history. But it also comes at a time when India’s response framework has evolved. In this article, I attempt to examine how Operation Sindoor fits into that shift, and why it matters not just for national security, but for India’s position as a confident and decisive voice among developing nations.

The most recent scar in Kashmir’s memory is the Pahalgam terror attack of 22 April 2025, where 26 innocent civilians were killed in the meadows of Baisaran, targeted on the basis of their religious identity. Among the victims was a local Kashmiri, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a pony ride operator and the sole breadwinner of his family, who was shot dead while trying to save tourists. His death stands as a stark reminder that terrorism does not discriminate, and that its victims often include those it falsely claims to represent. The attack was initially claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-based and ISI-linked terror outfit, before the group retracted its statement citing a “communication breach.” Such patterns of claim and denial only reinforce the long-standing ambiguity that surrounds cross-border terrorism, while doing little to conceal its origins. What perhaps Pakistan did not anticipate this time was the shift in both response and sentiment. For years, attacks were often followed by expectations of diplomatic engagement. But this time, there was a visible departure. Not only in terms of the state’s response, but also in the reaction on the ground. Across Kashmir, people came out openly to denounce Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, raising slogans against it, chanting “Pakistan Murdabad”. This public expression, rare in its scale and clarity, signalled a deeper change in how such acts are being perceived within the Valley itself.

Sindoor, in the Indian cultural context, is associated with married women, symbolising commitment, dignity, and the sanctity of life and family. Naming a military response Operation Sindoor carried a deliberate emotional weight. It served as a tribute to those families, particularly the wives, who lost their loved ones in the Pahalgam terror attack, bringing the human cost of terrorism to the centre of the narrative. In the days that followed, India announced its response, widely referred to as Operation Sindoor, on 7 May 2025. The operation was aimed at targeting terror infrastructure and launchpads linked to Pakistan-based groups, while maintaining a calibrated and measured approach. The objective was clear: to impose costs on those enabling terrorism without expanding the scope of conflict or to harm even a single innocent life.

As part of the operation, India carried out precision missile and air strikes on multiple locations across Pakistan Illegally Occupied Kashmir and parts of Pakistan’s Punjab province. These sites were identified as infrastructure linked to terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. While official figures were not fully disclosed, several reports suggested significant damage to these networks. India maintained that the strikes were focused and avoided civilian harm, reflecting an attempt to balance response with restraint. In response, Pakistan carried out drone and artillery strikes across sectors along the Line of Control, with areas such as Uri, Keran, and Karnah witnessing impact. Civilian lives and houses were affected, once again placing the burden of escalation on local populations. At the same time, what stood out within Kashmir was the visible public reaction. People came out openly to denounce Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, raising slogans against it. This shift in public expression, rare in its clarity, carried a message that extended beyond the immediate conflict.

The response did not conclude with Operation Sindoor. In the weeks that followed, Indian security forces launched Operation Mahadev, a sustained counter-terror effort aimed at identifying and eliminating those directly responsible for the Pahalgam attack. While the operation was not marked by a single public announcement date, it unfolded as a continuous intelligence-driven mission across the forested belts of South Kashmir. Among the identified perpetrators was Hashim Musa, a foreign operative linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and its proxy network, The Resistance Front. Through a series of coordinated encounters, all three primary attackers were eventually neutralised. The recovery of Pakistani identification documents and biometric evidence further reinforced the cross-border linkages of the attack. Spread over time and terrain, these operations reflected a shift from immediate retaliation to sustained accountability, where response was not limited to a single strike, but carried through to its logical conclusion.

What the sequence of events from Pahalgam to Operation Sindoor and eventually Operation Mahadev reflects is not just a response to a single attack, but a larger shift in approach. The cycle that once moved from violence to dialogue has been steadily replaced by one that prioritises accountability, precision, and continuity in action. At the same time, the response has not been limited to state policy alone. The visible change in public sentiment within Kashmir, where people openly rejected Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, adds another layer to this shift. It suggests that the ground reality is evolving alongside the policy framework, and that the space for such violence is gradually shrinking.

For India, the message is both internal and external. Internally, it reinforces a commitment to protect its citizens without hesitation. Externally, it positions India as a state that is willing to act with restraint, but not at the cost of inaction. In a global landscape where responses are closely watched, such clarity carries weight. Ultimately, the significance of these operations will not be measured only by the targets they struck, but by the stability they help preserve. For those of us in Kashmir, that remains the most important outcome. Peace, once regained, must be protected with both resolve and responsibility.

Email: soulofkashmir1@gmail.com