On May 4, 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor — a swift counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir, following a deadly ambush in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of four brave Indian soldiers. The response was decisive. But more striking was the operation’s name — sindoor — a symbol deeply woven into India’s civilizational consciousness.

The Pahalgam attack was not just a tactical incident. It was a blow to the spirit of our nation. In choosing sindoor and not a generic codename but one carrying civilizational weight, India made a profound cultural statement.

In Indian tradition, sindoor (vermilion) marks the married woman’s vow, not just of love, but of sankalp (resolve), continuity, and sacrifice. It is mentioned in Sanskrit literature, including the Skanda Purana and Kāmasūtra, as a symbol of auspiciousness (mangala) and the longevity of the husband. The Parvati-Shiva tradition reinforces this, with Parvati applying sindoor as an act of devotion, reinforcing the unity of the family and the cosmic order (ṛta). In rituals, sindoor is applied during vivaha samskaras and even in Shodasha Samskaras as a mark of one’s place in the sacred rhythm of life.

Thus, naming the operation sindoor wasn’t a poetic flourish. It was a civilizational assertion. Terrorism seeks to rupture the continuity of society. Sindoor affirms it.

The Indian family has always been the first site of civilization. It is where values are transmitted, duties embraced, and culture lived. When our soldiers fall, it is not just a state’s loss. It is the wound of a civilization that honors both warriorhood and sacrifice as sacred.

At Rishihood University, we carry this ethos into education. Our Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) curriculum introduces students to the philosophical and cultural foundations of Bharat — texts, practices, and lived wisdom. It trains them to see India not just as a country, but as a parampara.

Equally, our Global Grand Challenges course equips learners to address complex global issues — terrorism, conflict, environment, AI, and more — through an integrative lens.

Operation sindoor reminds us that today’s battles are civilizational. We must raise leaders who understand the depth of our heritage and the demands of our future. This is not just about security, it is about sanskriti, and the confidence to protect and advance it for generations to come.

We salute our armed forces and pray for the victory of truth over terrorism.