Pahalgam justice isn't about deaths or strikes. It's in 2 women, 2 uniforms, 2 identities
In a way, this was the most fitting response to what happened in Pahalgam. Terrorists killed innocent people for being Hindu. That was the mindset—that someone's religion makes them a target. And then, days later, the world sees Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh standing side by side, briefing the media on Operation Sindoor. Not making speeches, just doing their job. But even in that, there was something deeply powerful. It was a reminder that India, for all its faults, still holds space for many identities to exist—and lead—together. That moment didn't need to be explained. It simply was. And it stood against everything that hateful ideology believes in.
Alongside the name of the operation, what's also drawing attention across India is who was chosen to speak about it. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi from the Indian Army's Signal Corps, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, a helicopter pilot in the Indian Air Force, led the official briefing. Both have had long, respected careers in the Armed Forces. But their presence at the forefront of Operation Sindoor was more than just a professional assignment. It was a quiet statement against the ideologies that divide people by identity. And it affirmed the idea that unity isn't just something we say, but something we live.
After 26 lives were stolen in Pahalgam, India responded with Operation Sindoor—an operation named not for war, but for memory. The name, almost immediately, became a talking point. And it felt like a thoughtful choice. Sindoor isn't just a symbol of marriage—it carries with it the weight of a life shared, of everyday routines, of futures imagined together. In choosing that name, it was as if the country was saying: this wasn't just about 26 deaths. It was about the people they left behind, and the quiet, invisible ways their lives were torn apart, too. It was a reminder that those killed weren't just 26 individuals—they were sons, husbands, brothers. And when terror takes one person, it shatters many others around them. Naming the operation this way was a recognition that grief doesn't end at the victim—it stays, and it spreads.
Qureshi and Singh weren't just answering the terrorists who killed to spread terror and create divide on religious lines. They were also answering the ones within India who, in different ways, keep feeding that same communal divide. It was a reminder that the real fight isn't just across the border—it's also here, in how we choose to see each other. Operation Sindoor, thus, wasn't just a strike across the Line of Control. It was an act of defiance against everything that wants to split this country from the inside. And that's a real victory for the idea of India: countering exclusion with inclusion, and standing united in our fight for justice through a shared sense of belonging.
Also read: This India-Pakistan escalation ladder is new and slippery
Two women, two identities
The fact that two women led the joint briefing wasn't just a matter of representation—it was a strong response to the terrorists themselves. The attackers reportedly spared women and children, telling them to 'go and tell Modi what happened'. That was meant as a threat. But what they probably didn't expect was that it would be women standing at the front, delivering the response. Not just witnessing the violence, but carrying the weight of justice too. It was symbolic, yes—but it also felt deeply personal. A message that women don't just survive the aftermath; they can also shape what comes next.
It's easy to talk about justice in numbers—count the dead, count the strikes, count the days. But sometimes, justice is also in the small things that follow. In who gets to speak. In who refuses to be reduced to fear. In the way the country chooses to respond—not just with firepower, but with clarity about who we are, and who we refuse to become.
Operation Sindoor was a military response, but it was also something more. A reminder that the answer to hate isn't just defence. Sometimes it's dignity. Sometimes it's just standing still, holding the line, and refusing to give in to the very divisions the attackers wanted to deepen. And in that sense, Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh briefing together said more than any statement could. Two women. Two uniforms. Two identities. Together, they became the image that stayed.
And maybe that's the real message that day carried: the most powerful thing we can do in the face of hate and terror is to not become what it wants us to be.
Amana Begam Ansari is a columnist, writer, TV news panelist. She runs a weekly YouTube show called 'India This Week by Amana and Khalid'. She tweets @Amana_Ansari. Views are personal.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
16 minutes ago
- India.com
Pakistan finally breaks silence over US strikes on Iran nuclear sites, leaves everyone in shock, says...
New Delhi: America's entry in the war between Israel and Iran has increased the stir in the Middle East. America carried out rapid attacks on three major nuclear bases of Iran. Meanwhile, Pakistan has strongly condemned the US attack on Iran's nuclear bases. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry posted on its official social media account that America has violated all the rules of international law by carrying out airstrikes. Under the United Nations Charter, Iran has full right to defend itself. The statement said that we have expressed deep concern about the current tense situation in the Middle East. The situation arising from this is very worrying because it will have dire effects in the Middle East and beyond. These attacks are a violation of international law and Iran has full right to defend itself. Let us tell you that Pakistan shares its border with Iran. Pakistan shares a 900 km long border with Iran. Pakistan had also called upon Israel and Iran to end this war as soon as possible. Pakistan had said that diplomacy is the only way to peace, not military conflict. Pakistan had lobbied for the Nobel Prize for Trump Pakistan had lobbied for the Nobel Peace Prize for US President Donald Trump a day earlier. The Pakistan government had formally proposed Trump's name for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. The Pakistan government had said that the way Trump resolved the war with India in 2025 through diplomatic intervention and important leadership, it has been decided to propose Trump's name for the Nobel Peace Prize. The neighbouring country had said that it was because of Trump's efforts that a ceasefire took place between India and Pakistan, which averted the major threat of war. For this reason, Trump is the most deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize. After the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Islamabad started Operation Bunyan Un Marsoos in response to India's Operation Sindoor.
The Hindu
30 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Massive turnout at Muruga Bhaktargal meet, a warning bell to those in power: Annamalai
The massive turnout of Hindus at Muruga Bhaktargal conference is a warning bell to those in power, said BJP leader, K. Annamalai. Addressing the conference organised by Hindu Munnani here on Sunday, he said each abode of Lord Murugan has a different message of love, knowledge, married life, victory over evil (soorasamharam) and peace. 'It is those in power who should decide as to in which form they want to see the Hindus,' he said. Hindus usually forgive people, who trouble them in a small way or big way. 'However, the Hindus are continuously facing trouble in their way of life. Political leaders, who come to power with the votes of Hindus, speak in derogatory language against the Hindus, as they believe that Hindus would never get united,' he added. 'Our children should be able to use holy ash on their foreheads and wear 'rudraksha mala' to schools. These troubles need such a conference,' he added. Jews, who are only 0.2% of the world population were fighting against four nations for their rights. However, when India fights against cross-border terrorism, it is criticised by political leaders, he said. BJP State president, Nainar Nagendran said that despite all hurdles created against the conduct of the conference it has turned out to be a grand success with lakhs of people turning up. He also enthused the crowd by singing verses from the famous devotional song on Lord Murugan, 'Marudhamalai Maamaniye' sung by Madurai Somu. Untouchability led to Hindu fragmentation: Untouchability among the Hindus was the major reason for the Hindu religion to get fragmented, said RSS leader, R. Vanniarajan. He said that ancient Hindus celebrated the entire world as a single family with philosophies like 'Yaathum Oore, Yaavarum Kelir,' and the people are children of Mother Earth. Women were celebrated as mothers. However, a disorder crept into the Hindu society in the form of untouchability and discrimination and it led to the biggest fall of the Hindus. He said that the Hindus should realise that only unity among the Hindus would make the people stronger. The RSS believes that Untouchability was a sin and it should be uprooted to make the Hindus unite. 'It should begin from within,' he added. He also pointed out that the temples in thousands of villages should be opened to all community to offer prayers. Similarly, the cremation yard and waterbodies should be common to all. Hindu Munnani leader Bhaktavachalam said that while in the entire country, the Hindus worshipped God together, and whenever there was some trouble for the temple, they fight unitedly. However, in Tamil Nadu, people offer prayers separately. '(Hindus in) Tamil Nadu have bhakthi, but no shakthi,' he said. 'The objective of this conference is to make people of Tamil Nadu to worship together at least once in a month by reciting Kandha Sashti Kavasam,' he said.
Deccan Herald
an hour ago
- Deccan Herald
Pawan Kalyan slams 'fake secularists' for selective targeting of Hindusim
Addressing a massive "Muruga Bhakthargal Maanadu," a conference of devotees of Lord Murugan, here, Kalyan said he was "not a fanatic Hindu, but a committed Hindu."
