In response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India initiated Operation Sindoor, resulting in significant outcomes against Pakistan. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has characterized Operation Sindoor as a strategic game of chess. He emphasized the complexity and calculated nature of the operation.
General Dwivedi stated that Operation Sindoor was unlike other missions because of the unpredictable nature of the enemy’s moves, which made it similar to a chess match. Despite the uncertainty, India achieved a decisive victory.
“In Operation Sindoor, we played chess… We didn’t know what the enemy’s next move would be, and what we were going to do. It’s called the grey zone,” Dwivedi explained. “Grey zone means we are not doing traditional operations. We were playing chess moves, and they (the enemy) were also playing chess moves.”
During a program at IIT Madras, he said, “At times we were checkmating them, and at times we were willing to concede, risking our lives, but that is life.”
The Army had full autonomy during Operation Sindoor. Dwivedi said that the operation, which began on May 7, aimed to retaliate against the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, where terrorists killed 26 tourists. He noted that the Army had complete freedom from the Defence Minister and Prime Minister during this operation.
Dwivedi mentioned a meeting on April 23 after the Pahalgam attack, where the directive was clear: a robust response was needed. The Army was given the responsibility of determining the action and implementing it, a rare instance of such clear direction.
Dwivedi also addressed the name ‘Operation Sindoor,’ and how it unified the nation. India achieved victory through both military and scientific approaches, targeting terrorist hideouts in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan responded with drone and missile attacks, which India’s air defense systems intercepted. The operation displayed India’s capability for high-precision, coordinated military actions, successfully dismantling terrorist infrastructure.