For govt, Operation Sindoor was not about retribution but drawing limits of tolerance: CDS Anil Chauhan
Another point made by the operation was that India was not going to live under the shadow of terror or nuclear blackmail, Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan said.
Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan said that as an organisation, one must have an offensive spirit. "That's why I said in a couple of my interviews that losses are not important, the outcome is,” he said. (Express Photo by Arul Horizon)
The government’s objective behind Operation Sindoor was not retribution but to draw the limits of tolerance with Pakistan, said Chief of the Defence Staff Anil Chauhan on Tuesday.
Delivering a talk titled ‘Future Wars and Warfare’ at the Savitribai Phule Pune University, Chauhan said: “Let me talk about reason… Operation Sindoor, as per the government is concerned, is not about retribution. I think it was about drawing these limits of tolerance. Thus, and not far. This state-sponsored terrorism from Pakistan had to stop, and Pakistan should not be able to hold India hostage to terror activities.”
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Another point made by the operation was that India was not going to live under the shadow of terror or nuclear blackmail, he said.
Immediately before this, Chauhan said: “The emotion that was being evoked among the people of India was revenge and retribution… and to get the perpetrators to justice. That, I think, was playing in everyone’s mind; that is the kind of emotion and public sentiment that was happening. And at the end of it, there was probably some sort of satisfaction, (and also) anxiety. Anxiety during the operation…”
He also talked about the risks involved during military operations. “You can’t be 100 per cent prepared for every kind of contingency, and you can’t have 100 per cent of the information about that. So you are always groping around in the dark when you are carrying out military operations. In every military operation, there is an element of risk involved. The only thing is that it should be a calculated kind of risk.”
Chauhan reiterated that Operation Sindoor was not over and that there was only a temporary cessation of operations. He added that post-Balakot, “we thought we should be able to strike deep inside, so we have built those kinds of capabilities. None of the capabilities we employed had been tested on the battlefield. Therefore, risk was involved… In a war, even if there are setbacks, we have to adapt, understand what went wrong and go out again.”
He added that as an organisation, one must have an offensive spirit. “That’s why I said in a couple of my interviews that losses are not important, the outcome is,” he said.
Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.
Professional Background
Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.
Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.
Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:
1. Investigations & Governance
"Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.
"44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.
2. Education & Campus Life
Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.
"Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.
"Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers.
3. Human Rights & Social Issues
"Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India.
"'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.
Signature Style
Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.
X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More
