Operation Sindoor and India's new normal
Until 2016, India's response to cross-border terrorism followed a familiar script: diplomatic pressure, attempts to isolate Pakistan, and economic tools like pushing for action through the Financial Action Task Force. However, these responses rarely delivered real deterrence. Pakistan was briefly placed on the FATF 'grey list,' and made some cosmetic moves—but the attacks continued. Meanwhile, Islamabad and Rawalpindi carried on with their Thousand Cuts campaign, incurring little cost. That changed in 2016.
Also Read: Explained | Why is Pakistan off FATF 'grey list'?
After the deadly attack on the Army base in Uri, where 19 soldiers were killed, India conducted what it called surgical strikes across the Line of Control, targeting terror launchpads. For the first time, India moved beyond diplomacy and took direct military action on Pakistani soil. This shift, however, didn't eliminate the threat. The 2019 Pulwama attack proved that. And while the Balakot airstrikes that followed were a bold escalation, they too didn't prevent the Pahalgam massacre.
The change is significant. With each attack, India has expanded the scope and scale of its retaliation. Operation Sindoor, India's latest military response to Pahalgam, targeted nine locations inside Pakistan. It was the largest Indian aerial operation on Pakistani soil since the 1971 war.This evolving doctrine comes with risks.
In this episode of Realpolitik, we decode Operation Sindoor and India's 'new normal'.
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