Four days after India’s swift response through Operation Sindoor for the Pahalgam terror attack, a tentative halt to military action has taken hold. India and Pakistan agreed Saturday to suspend hostilities from 5 pm. Yet, within hours, Pakistan breached the agreement—a grim reminder that peace in this region remains hostage to volatility. What we witness is the emergence of a new normal. India has drawn a hard red line: terrorism will invite retaliation, and no place in Pakistan is off-limits. This is a fundamental shift from earlier postures of strategic restraint or limited surgical strikes. Operation Sindoor signals India’s resolve to treat any future terror attack not as an isolated incident, but as an act of war, with consequences.
The military escalation has drawn global attention. The United States led the diplomatic scramble to contain the crisis, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran also stepping in. India, however, kept communication strictly limited to the Directors General of Military Operations, signalling a refusal to engage in futile dialogue while terrorism remains Pakistan’s state-sponsored policy. This uneasy calm is not peace but a pause that underscores the urgent need for a coherent, forward-looking policy. Pakistan’s deep state and its decades-old entanglement with terror networks cannot be ignored or wished away. Western nations, too often complicit in inaction, continue to urge restraint from India while sidestepping the core issue of cross-border terrorism. That double standard must be confronted.
India must now forge a calibrated strategy—military, political, and psychological—to impose an unequivocal cost on Pakistan for every act of terror. Traditional thinking will not suffice in this transformed strategic landscape. India must also be ready to call China’s bluff—whether through border posturing or diplomatic meddling, Beijing’s shadow over the region must be met with clarity and counter-pressure.
In times of conflict, truth often becomes the first casualty. Alongside misinformation from across the border, sections of our media contributed to panic through unverified, sensationalist reporting. The New Indian Express took a principled stand—rigorous fact-checking, no false flags, and responsible journalism. That credibility earned the trust of our readers, a trust we are committed to upholding. This fragile calm must not lull us into complacency. India must be prepared, resolute, and unwavering because peace ultimately rests not on words but on strength.