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Journalism of Courage
PERHAPS, the strongest political signal from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on Operation Sindoor and its aftermath was how it avoided the tropes of partisan politics – referring to the nation as a united front and the importance of this unity towards ensuring “shanti” (peace) through “shakti” (strength).
Modi framed the response as one in which “the entire nation, every citizen, every community, every class, every political party, unitedly stood up for strong action against terrorism,” after the Pahalgam terror attack. “Our greatest strength is our unity (“ekta, ekjut rahna”) against all forms of terrorism. This is certainly not the era of war but this is also not the era of terrorism. Zero tolerance against terrorism is the guarantee for a better world,” he said.
This acknowledgment of unity as a “strength,” came as the PM drew the new red lines on terror emanating from Pakistan and dedicated Operation Sindoor to women.
For over a decade, empowerment of women has been a refrain in the PM’s political communication: from triple talaq to Ujjwala, beti bachao to the Women’s Bill and a raft of measures to secure women’s safety nets. He took that refrain to the domain of national security blending it with the personal idea of a family’s safety, driving home the message of Operation Sindoor loud and clear. “Our brave soldiers displayed immense courage to achieve the objectives of Operation Sindoor. I pay tribute to their bravery, courage and valour. I dedicate this valour to every mother, every sister and every daughter of the country,” he said.
Operation Sindoor, he said, “is not just a name but it’s a reflection of the feelings of millions of people of the country. Operation ‘Sindoor’ is our unwavering commitment to justice.”
Modi highlighted how the terror attack in Pahalgam had seared the national conscience and hit at the very heart of a family and their faith: “The merciless killing of innocent citizens in front of their family and their children on the basis of their religion was a very gruesome face of terror and cruelty. This was also a disgusting attempt to break the harmony and unity of the country….We gave full freedom to the Indian forces to wipe out the terrorists. And today every terrorist, every terror organisation knows the consequence of wiping out the Sindoor of our sisters and daughters,” he said.
“The terrorists had wiped out the Sindoor of our sisters and India responded by destroying their terrorist headquarters,” he said.
Given the scale of Operation Sindoor and the intense military conflict which followed, Modi’s address to the nation Monday struck distinct chords but some also resonated with the ones in 2016 (Uri) and 2019 (Pulwama).
In his Kozhikode rally after the Uri attack, he had reached out to the people of Pakistan by saying the war needed was one on poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and maternal mortality. This time, he said that Pakistan would be consumed by terror if it didn’t act against it and the way the Army and the Government there were “encouraging terrorism,” that “will destroy Pakistan one day.”
After the Balakot strike, in March 2019, Modi had said: “When enemies try to destabilise India and unleash a terror attack on us, their attempt is to stop the functioning of our nation and stall its progress. Every Indian has to stand against it like a strong wall…India will live as one. India will work as one. India will grow as one. India will fight as one. India will win as one.”
That message of unity was reiterated Monday and framed as a strength in the war against terrorism.
Modi’s reference to “every political party” as being united in the war on terror comes in the context of a deeply divided politics where he has often accused sections of the Opposition as being soft on terrorism.
This time, the entire Opposition had pledged support to the Government for any action against perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack post Operation Sindoor. The political consensus was dented after the announcement of the ceasefire with many of the Opposition parties raising questions on the role played by the US in bringing about a truce when there was no scope for third-party mediation in settling the Kashmir dispute.
“The PM’s much-delayed address to the nation was completely upstaged by President Trump’s revelations a few minutes earlier. The PM was completely silent on them. Has India agreed to US mediation? Has India agreed to a ‘neutral site’ for a dialogue with Pakistan? Will India now give in to the US demands for opening Indian markets in autos, agriculture, and other areas?” Congress communication head Jairam Ramesh said.
Modi may have not made direct references to the issue but he addressed these questions in the way he reiterated that terror and talks, terror and trade do not go together and the only talks that India would have with Pakistan would be on terrorism and PoK. Amid questions by the Opposition on why and how the US State Department had called it a “US-brokered ceasefire,” Modi made it clear that the ceasefire had come about only because India had “caused heavy damage to Pakistan…which it had never imagined” prompting it to look for ways to escape.
