Who can forget Operation Sindoor — India’s fitting reply to the massacre of innocent lives at Pahalgam by terrorists from across the border?
In the wee hours of May 7, 2025, missile strikes by the Indian Air Force decimated several terror hotbeds well inside Pakistan, reemphasising that India will no longer be intimidated by terrorists.
This operation, one of the most punitive of combat missions in nearly half a century of the country’s history, laid bare the extent of India’s resolve.
Just as captivating as the mission was the press conference that followed, led by two lady officers, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Air Force. It oozed symbolism and encouraged the masses to back the operation in whatever way they could.
Despite being far removed from the theatres of war during this operation and in the series of conflicts that followed, Kochi was not immune to a surge in patriotic vigour. This manifested in the physical sphere when a new private lane in Vazhakkala was named Sindoor Lane, in honour of the mission.
“The board appeared a year ago, about the same time as Operation Sindoor. The font, colour, and everything about it are indeed indicative of it being a tribute to India’s mission,” says Ajay Panikulam, a finance professional and local resident.
Another resident, Mohammed Younis, says the board need not be viewed as emblematic of patriotism. “True patriotism is carried in our hearts. It’s in our spirit. But yes, a road that’s easily remembered is no doubt for a rising neighbourhood. It’s especially good as markers for gig workers,” he smiles.
Meanwhile, Rafeeq A C, an autorickshaw driver, points out that the road is not a municipal road. “Earlier, it was just a big, vacant plot. It was only recently that it was divided into smaller plots. The road connects the new houses that have come up here, and is a private lane,” he says.
Local councillor Suneer Bawa confirms the same. “Had it been a municipal road, it would have carried the usual colours — blue and white, as is the norm. This is a private lane,” he says.
Ihraz Ameen, another resident, says, “The land it sits on is the ancestral property of an old family here. It is learned that a developer had bought this land and adjacent plots to build a villa. The name of the lane is indeed a thing of curiosity. It was set up after Operation Sindoor. It’s been a year now.”
One of the firm’s proprietors, Anwar Sadath, says, “We named the lane in honour of Operation Sindoor. We had begun the construction roughly around the time of the mission. My partner Ferook and I are patriots, and when we embarked on our ambitious villa project, we wanted a fitting name for our lane. And this was it.”
Moolepadam Road in Vazhakkala, on which this villa and lane are perched, is no stranger to avenues of curiosity. St Jude, an old quarry, which sits at the end of this road, is where a lot of movie shoots take place. “That space is called Paramada Veedu,” says Younis.
