India, May 7 -- The Pahalgam attack on April 22 crossed a new line. It was more than an act of terror linked to Kashmir. It aimed to incite a war of religions. Now, 14 days later, Operation Sindoor combines a strong military message with a deeply emotional symbolism. India's military retaliation following the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) being kept in abeyance, has justifiably risen to a new level.

Neither the military step, nor its scale and depth, should come as a surprise after Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly laid down the objectives of our response, the impact of Pahalgam on our national psyche and Pakistan's brazen reaction. It also followed a natural course of increasingly more aggressive counter-terrorism measures in response...