What Is Operation Sindoor? Behind the Name of India’s Retaliatory Strikes After Pahalgam Attack

India has launched a decisive military mission, Operation Sindoor, on Wednesday, targeting nine terror sites based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir as a response to the attack on tourists in Pahalgam. According to the Pakistan Military's statement quoted by the BBC, Indian airstrikes and cross-border firing have killed 26 people and injured 46 others.

The strikes come amid a sharp escalation in tensions and the further breakdown of diplomatic relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Why the Operation Named Sindoor?

The mission’s name, Sindoor, holds powerful symbolism. On April 22, terrorists gunned down 26 men in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, mostly tourists. Reportedly, the terrorists have asked victims about their religion and mainly targeted men from the Hindu community. They shot 26 innocents in front of their families, many of the women left behind are now widows.

Sindoor, a Hindu term for vermilion, is applied by married women belonging to the Hindu community on their foreheads. Hence, the name of this mission carries its significance. Sindoor thus came to represent not just loss, but resilience.

According to news agency PTI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen the evocative term for the mission. Addressing a rally in Bihar state on April 24, Modi vowed that India would pursue the Pahalgam attackers "to the ends of the Earth."

Hence, the name "Operation Sindoor" was considered the appropriate moniker for the retaliatory exercise, wrote the news agency.

ESMA Post-Operation Sindoor

In the wake of missile attacks, the government is preparing to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to prevent profiteering and ensure steady supplies of essential commodities, Mint reported.

“The department of consumer affairs, in coordination with various authorities including state governments, will step up monitoring of supply chains to prevent disruptions and protect public interest," one of the officials told the newspaper.

Authorities may impose emergency controls if there are signs of hoarding, price gouging, or panic buying, the official added.