Operation Sindoor Chronicle #4 - May 12th, 2025 - The Modi Doctrine Against Terror

In his first address to the nation since the start of the Operation Sindoor, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, laid down his own doctrine for this century.

The Modi Doctrine Against Terror.

Let us take a listen.

This was the original speech in Hindi.

I have used AI to translate it into English. Every word is worth reading because the Indian PM means every word.

If you can decode it, each word has a larger message.

I have taken the liberty to call out certain portions below to give you more clarity.

PM Narendra Modi's Address to the Nation | Operation Sindoor

My dear countrymen, Namaskar.

In recent days, we have witnessed both the strength and restraint of our nation.
First and foremost, I salute India’s valiant armed forces, our intelligence agencies, our scientists, on behalf of every Indian.

Our brave soldiers showed extraordinary valor in achieving the objectives of Operation Sindoor. I dedicate their bravery, their courage, and their prowess today.

I dedicate this valor to every mother, every sister, and every daughter of this country.

Friends, the barbarity that terrorists displayed on April 22 in Pahalgam shook not just India, but the world. To murder innocent vacationing civilians in front of their families and children—this was terrorism’s most grotesque and brutal face.

It was also a heinous attempt to break India’s communal harmony.
Personally, this was a moment of great pain for me.

After this attack, the entire nation—every citizen, every community, every political party—stood united in demanding a strong response against terrorism.

We gave full freedom to our forces to destroy the terrorists. And now, every terrorist group understands what it means to wipe the sindoor (vermillion) off the foreheads of our women.

Operation Sindoor is not just a name—it reflects the sentiments of crores of Indians. It is an unwavering vow of justice.

On the night of May 6 into the morning of May 7, the world witnessed that vow transform into action.

Our armed forces carried out precise strikes on terror camps and training centers in Pakistan. Terrorists never imagined that India would make such a bold decision.

But when a nation is united, when it puts the nation first, when the nation is supreme, then iron-clad decisions are made—and executed.

When Indian missiles and drones struck the terror hubs in Pakistan, it didn’t just bring down buildings—it shattered the morale of terror organizations.

Since they destroyed the sindoor of our women, India destroyed their terror headquarters. In these attacks, over 100 dangerous terrorists were eliminated.

Many terror masterminds who roamed freely in Pakistan plotting against India were wiped out in one swift blow.

Friends, this action left Pakistan utterly demoralized and panicked. In its desperation, it committed another reckless provocation.

Instead of joining the global community in fighting terror, Pakistan attacked India.

It targeted our schools, colleges, gurdwaras, temples, and civilian homes. It targeted our military bases.

But Pakistan was exposed.

The world saw how Pakistan’s drones and missiles crumbled like straw in the face of India’s robust air defense systems, which neutralized them mid-air.

Pakistan prepared for a border war—but India struck its heart.

Indian drones and missiles hit with precision, damaging airbases the Pakistani Air Force boasted about.

In just the first three days, India inflicted devastation Pakistan never anticipated.

After such aggressive action, Pakistan began pleading for de-escalation, and by the afternoon of May 10, contacted our Director General of Military Operations (DGMO).

By then, we had already destroyed their terror infrastructure and turned their terror havens into ruins.

So, when Pakistan claimed it would cease further terror activities and military misadventures, India decided to temporarily suspend retaliatory actions.

Let me emphasize: we have only paused our response, not ended it.

In the coming days, we will judge Pakistan by its actions, not its words.

India’s three forces—Air Force, Army, Navy—as well as BSF and paramilitary units remain on high alert.

After surgical strikes and air strikes, Operation Sindoor marks a new chapter in India’s policy against terror.

It draws a new line, a new normal.

1. Terror attacks on India will be met with a crushing response—on our terms, in our way, at a time and place of our choosing.
2. India will not tolerate nuclear blackmail. If terror bases hide behind nuclear threats, India will hit them decisively.
3. We no longer distinguish between terrorist groups and their state sponsors.

During Operation Sindoor, the world saw Pakistan’s ugly truth: high-ranking Pakistani military officers paying respects to slain terrorists. This is undeniable proof of state-sponsored terrorism.

We will continue taking decisive steps to protect India and Indians.

Friends, on the battlefield, we have defeated Pakistan repeatedly. But Operation Sindoor has taken this to a new dimension.

We’ve demonstrated excellence in deserts and mountains, and also proven our superiority in new-age warfare.

Our Made-in-India weapons proved their authenticity.

The world now sees that India’s defense equipment is ready for 21st-century warfare.

Unity against terrorism is our greatest strength.

Friends, the way Pakistan’s army and government are nurturing terrorism, one day it will consume Pakistan itself.

If Pakistan wants to survive, it must dismantle its terror infrastructure. There is no other path to peace.

India’s position is absolutely clear:

• Terror and talks cannot go together.
• Terror and trade cannot go together.
• Blood and water cannot flow together.

To the international community, I say this clearly:

• If there are to be talks with Pakistan, they will be only about terrorism.
• If there are to be talks with Pakistan, they will be only about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

My dear countrymen, today is Buddha Purnima. Lord Buddha showed us the path of peace. But even that path passes through strength.

For humanity, peace, and prosperity to flourish, every Indian must live in peace and realize the dream of a developed India.

For this, India must be powerful—and when necessary, it must use that power.

In recent days, India has done just that.

Once again, I salute our armed forces. I bow to the resolve and unity of every Indian citizen.

Thank you very much.

Bharat Mata Ki Jai. Bharat Mata Ki Jai. Bharat Mata Ki Jai.

One of the Greatest Speeches

This speech is by far the most significant by any world leader. Only five speeches were as substantial in their import, historical, and geopolitical significance.

1. Winston Churchill — "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" (June 4, 1940): It was delivered by the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 4 June 1940. Britain stood alone as Hitler overran Europe. Dunkirk evacuation had just concluded. One line, "We shall never surrender," became the doctrinal heart of Western resistance to fascism and set the tone for the Allied war doctrine.
2. Harry Truman — "The Truman Doctrine" (March 12, 1947): It was delivered by President Truman before a joint session of Congress on March 12, 1947. It was right after World War II, when Soviet Expansion loomed over Greece and Turkey. Truman defined America’s role as a global protector against communism. Thereafter, it gave birth to the Cold War architecture: NATO, the Marshall Plan, and the CIA expansion. The Truman Doctrine, which emerged from this speech, marked the shift from isolationism to interventionism in U.S. foreign policy.
3. Deng Xiaoping—"Southern Tour Speeches" (1992): These were a series of remarks made during his tour of southern China between January 18 and February 21, 1992. The tour and speeches are considered pivotal moments in the history of China's economic reform and subsequent opening up of the economy. Remember that China was stagnating after the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. Deng asserted his commitment to economic reform and opening up. With that, he marked China's actual reentry into the global economy and set it on the path to becoming a superpower. And, from hindsight, if one looks at it objectively, these speeches redefined authoritarian modernization.
4. George W. Bush — "Address to Congress After 9/11" (Sept 20, 2001): President George W Bush's address to the Congress was made just days after the most devastating terrorist attack on U.S. soil - the 9-11 attacks. It redefined terrorism as an existential war, not just a crime. With that, it created the Global War on Terror, which led to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. His statement - "Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists" - posited world into two groups: those who supported terror, and those who were fighting it.
5. Vladimir Putin — Munich Security Conference Speech (2007): This was the first speech by a Russian head of state at the Munich Conference. After 9-11, a unipolar world with the US at the top was asserting itself and in many ways redefining sovereignty for other nations. Despite agreements between Reagan and Gorbachev, NATO was expanding near Russia's borders. With this speech, Putin made an audacious call - he declared the end of unipolarity and condemned U.S. hegemony. He also set the ideological ground and stage for Crimea (2014) and Ukraine (2022) invasions by promising Russia's resurgence. His main statement - "One state, the United States, has overstepped its national borders in every way," continues to define Russia's policy till today.

Modi's speech on May 12th at 8.00 PM India time was in the same league.

How Donald Trump Lost India on the Geopolitical Chessboard

Unfortunately, US President Donald Trump pre-empted Modi's speech with his own.

After having crossed the strongest of red lines for India - interference or mediation between India and Pakistan for "Kashmir", which is an internal state of India, part of which is illegally occupied by Pakistan - he doubled down. That happened because his ego made him take credit for what he called a "ceasefire" - while India called it an "understanding". As Modi's speech clearly showed, the US administration had no role to play in that sequence of events.

After completely ruining the India-US relationship, he threw another lighted match into the mix—a trade carrot that would be offered if India and Pakistan complied with his ideas. This equivalence between India and Pakistan was another red line.

With that, Trump just detonated years of U.S.-India defense diplomacy with one reckless outburst after another.

Declaring that trade should be used to pressure India was the last straw.

With that single remark, he confirmed India’s deepest strategic fear: that the U.S. is not a partner, but a power that plays favorites—and is ready to weaponize even alliances.

For Indian planners, it’s a chilling prospect: being dependent on a volatile partner who might pull the plug mid-conflict. And, there is enough history of that. India remembers Kargil. In its hour of need, when Indian troops were locked in a bloody war in the Himalayas, the U.S. denied India access to GPS data.

That betrayal still echoes in South Block. Now, Trump has reminded New Delhi that even advanced U.S. platforms can become liabilities when the going gets tough.

Trump’s comment bruised egos and torched trust. Years of bipartisan effort to anchor India-U.S. defense ties now lie in ruins.

The cost?

Billions in lost defense deals, a strategic reset in New Delhi, and a glaring signal to Indian policymakers: America, under Trump, is too erratic to rely on. America without Trump is the return of the Deep State.

India may now be set to create an entirely different coalition. Please check our earlier newsletter on the development of geopolitical alignments to understand the significance of the US and India's break.

China’s Masterplan: Encircle India, Destroy America

The terror attack in Pahalgam was not just an assault on India — it was a global strategic move. China, Pakistan, Qatar, and Turkey are working together to bleed India and trap America. If India falls, America has no path left to contain China.

Drishtikone: Insightful Perspectives on Geopolitics and CultureDesh Kapoor

Henceforth, the way this alignment will move is something to watch now.

Let us analyze the speech in detail.

Analysis of the Speech

First, let us lay out the Modi Doctrine against Terror.

One may be tempted to equate it with that of George W Bush post 9-11, but from hindsight, one knows that Bush was never sincere about the objectives he had laid out and his plan.

Looking at the speech, these 7 Principles stand out from PM Modi's statements for the world.

1. Retaliatory Decisiveness: Terror attacks will be met with military action, on India’s terms, at India’s timing, and with complete force.
2. Precedent-Shattering Response: The doctrine draws a new red line: no more strategic restraint. Airstrikes, drone raids, and deep targeting of infrastructure are fair game.
3. No Safe Havens Doctrine: India will strike at the roots of terror—training centers, financing hubs, ideological nurseries—even inside hostile states.
4. No State-Non State Differentiation: No separation between terrorists and their state sponsors (read: Pakistan). If the state harbors them, it shares the punishment.
5. No Nuclear Blackmail Tolerance: India refuses to be deterred by nuclear threats. Such bluffing will not shield the terror infrastructure anymore.
6. Permanent Posture of Deterrence: The doctrine is not an eventbut a standing policy. Military and intelligence preparedness has been institutionalized to respond to and uphold it henceforth.
7. Geopolitical Signaling: India has clarified that dialogue, trade, and diplomacy will be conditioned upon eliminating terrorism and reclaiming PoK from Pakistan. There is no other discussion to be had with Pakistan.

The Indians, on the other hand, were given these powerful and distinct messages.

• India has officially ended strategic restraint: India will no longer seek permission. Decades of tolerating terrorism and waiting for global approval while sharing meaningless dossiers to Pakistan are over.
• Domestic unity across politics and society is the new strategic weapon: Electoral wins and popularity defines the executive power. Modi invoked this as a factor behind the success of his doctrine.
• India’s defense infrastructure is self-reliant and globally credible. Self-reliance will be the key to India's future battle readiness. Made-in-India weapons were battle-tested and succeeded.
• Women-centered symbolism (Sindoor): The nature of Islamist violence is that it singles out women to humiliate, rape and torture them. The symbolism of Sindoor as the source of power has become a nationalist sentiment—a cultural and civilizational marker now defended militarily.
• PoK is no longer just a diplomatic talking point—Modi clearly stated that future talks will only be about PoK and terrorism, not bilateral issues. When he says "talks about PoK", Modi meant how and when Pakistan will return it back.
• Peace is no longer pursued passively: When he said that the path to peace goes via "Shakti" or power, he asserted something important - that power will precede dialogue, not follow it.
• India is redefining itself as a global anti-terror standard-setter, not a follower of UN processes or Western diplomacy.

One must understand that the United Nations was created for dialogue, peace, and frameworks between Nations. The battle against terrorism is outside the purview of the UN. The Modi Doctrine clearly lays this out.

India has redrawn the global rules of engagement. By launching retaliatory strikes without waiting for UN approval, New Delhi has established a bold new template for sovereign self-defense—one where nations reserve the right to strike first, across borders, when attacked by non-state actors.

Modi has heralded the emergence of a new global norm with Operation Sindoor:

Modi shattered the charade of global diplomacy on terrorism. He bypassed international mediation because the world’s hypocrisy on terror sponsorship had become impossible to ignore.

You seem, it wasn't an oversight or an action in haste.

For years, the West cloaked Pakistan's role in terror under strategic ambiguity. That ambiguity became a weapon—used not against terrorists, but against India.

India acted unilaterally, struck surgically, and named and shamed Pakistan with battlefield precision and irrefutable proof.

This wasn’t just a military maneuver—it was a geopolitical declaration:

Israel, a pioneer of hot pursuit and targeted assassinations, will see Modi’s Doctrine as the next evolution in counter-terror warfare.

India hasn’t just acted—it has authored a new doctrine of unapologetic, cross-border retaliation. One that terror-hit nations across the world will now invoke as precedent, not aberration.

The message is clear:

And, with this, for the first time in the last 1000 years, someone outside of the Western world has set the direction of the global geopolitical framework. And, it may very well be the first that backs humanity in all its honesty.