Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation following the conclusion of Operation Sindoor was not merely a post-conflict summary. It was a carefully calibrated statement of doctrine—a redefinition of India’s approach to Pakistan, to terrorism, and to international diplomacy.

It marked the arrival of a “new normal” in India-Pakistan relations, where deterrence is no longer passive and strategic restraint is not unconditional. He made it clear that the operation was not an isolated military response but a blueprint for the future.

The message is unambiguous: India will respond to cross-border terrorism not just with condemnation but with calibrated, precise, and powerful retaliation. In doing so, India has shifted the burden of peace entirely onto Pakistan. The onus is now on Islamabad to ensure that its soil is not used for terror activities. Any slip, any misadventure, will invite swift and proportionate retribution.

In essence, India has drawn new red lines and is prepared to enforce them militarily, diplomatically, and economically. Gone is the era when India limited its responses to dossiers and international appeals. What Operation Sindoor demonstrated was India’s capability to hit specific terror targets deep inside Pakistani territory without triggering a full-scale war.

And more significantly, it did so while exercising restraint—avoiding civilian casualties and refraining from targeting vital Pakistani infrastructure. Modi reiterated India’s refusal to accept third-party mediation, a........

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