Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the one who personally chose the name “Operation Sindoor” for the recent military offensive targeting terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), according to PTI.

As per official sources quoted by PTI, the term was selected for its emotional resonance in light of the tragic loss of 26 civilian lives in the Pahalgam attack that occurred a fortnight ago. The civilians, most of whom were male tourists, were gunned down by terrorists, leaving behind grieving families. Among the images that stirred the nation were those of devastated wives, many of whom had applied sindoor, a traditional symbol of marriage in India that was now rendered meaningless by the violent deaths of their spouses.