In a striking interview with the Saudi Arabian news channel, AI Arabiya, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor delivered a powerful explanation for why India’s military counterstrike was named Operation Sindoor, drawing a direct connection between the vermilion’s colour and the blood spilled by terrorists.
“The colour of Sindoor is not very different from the colour of blood spilled by the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack,” Shashi Tharoor told the international news outlet, revealing the deeply symbolic reason behind the operation’s name that has resonated throughout India.
When pressed about the significance of the name, Tharoor revealed how it directly honours the victims of terror and carries profound emotional weight, tied to one of the attack’s most heartbreaking images.
Heartbreaking Image That Inspired Operation Sindoor
Indian Member of Parliament for Lok Sabha @ShashiTharoor says #India’s “Operation Sindoor” is a powerful name that evokes the grief of a newly widowed bride—turning a symbol of marriage into a reminder of bloodshed and loss. #Pakistan #GNT pic.twitter.com/sWroFJFjMc
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) May 9, 2025
The operation’s name references the devastating scenes that shocked India after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Tharoor explained,
“The image that was sealed into the nation’s consciousness after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam was of a newlywed, now newly widowed, bride on her honeymoon, kneeling disconsolately by the body of her slain husband. In other words, the terrorists who attacked her wiped the sindoor from her forehead—as only married women wear it.”
He was speaking about the gut-wrenching photos of Himanshi Narwal mourning beside her husband, Indian Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal. The couple had married just days before the attack that claimed his life, along with 24 other soldiers and a local Kashmiri man.
Tharoor emphasizes that the new name serves as a powerful reminder of innocent civilians who suffered, particularly the young woman who was suddenly widowed. The Thiruvananthapuram MP pointed out another layer of meaning in the operation’s name. He said,
“I might add, there is also undoubtedly the intuitive thought that the colour of Sindoor is not that different from the colour of blood, and that was what was spilled by the terrorists in our country.”
Tharoor called it a very, very evocative, emotional, and powerful choice to name the operation that way. Earlier, he had praised the naming decision on social media, calling it brilliant and saying, “Shabash to whoever thought of it.”
India’s Position On The International Stage
The Congress leader has been actively representing India in interviews with international media outlets. When speaking to AI Arabiya, he described Pakistanis as masters of denial regarding terrorist activities.
“They denied anything to do with the Mumbai attack that killed 170 people on 26/11/2008 until one of the terrorists was caught alive, and Pakistan had to admit that he and everything he said came from them,” Tharoor stated. He added that Pakistan similarly denied knowing Osama Bin Laden’s whereabouts until he was found near a Pakistani military installation.
Shashi Tharoor drew a clear distinction between the two nations’ objectives. He categorised India as a “status quo” power that wants nothing from Pakistan and has focused on economic growth, technological advancement, and creating opportunities for its citizens.
In contrast, he described Pakistan as a revisionist power that harbours Indian terrorists and has used terrorism as a strategy. “They have been deploying terrorists for 30 years as part of their desire to bleed India by a thousand cuts and to capture the territory of Kashmir,” Shashi Tharoor said.
A Name That Captures National Sentiment
The name “Operation Sindoor” has struck a chord with many Indians because it connects military actions to the human cost of terrorism. By referring to the Sindoor that symbolises marriage and happiness, the operation name underscores what was lost in the attack—innocent lives and shattered families.
As tension continues between the neighbouring countries, the emotional resonance of such operations demonstrates how military efforts can carry symbolic weight beyond their tactical objectives.
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