India’s Response Under Operation Sindoor Was Retaliatory, Not Escalatory: Shashi Tharoor in Guyana

 Georgetown, Guyana | May 27, 2025 — In a significant diplomatic outreach during his visit to Guyana, senior Congress leader and Member of Parliament Dr. Shashi Tharoor clarified India’s strategic rationale behind Operation Sindoor, emphasizing that New Delhi’s military response was retaliatory in nature and not intended to trigger a prolonged conflict with Pakistan.

Addressing an international audience, Dr. Tharoor stated, “We had no desire to convey that this was the opening salvo of a protracted war.” He stressed that each action taken under Operation Sindoor was a direct response to provocations from Pakistan. “Each strike was retaliatory. Every move by India was in reaction to actions initiated by Pakistan,” he said.

Highlighting India’s consistent diplomatic communication with concerned governments, Dr. Tharoor noted, “Whenever foreign governments reached out to express concern, we reiterated that India is not interested in war. Our message was clear and unwavering.”

He underscored that peace remains India’s preferred path, but it must be underpinned by strength and deterrence. “We are at peace today, and we wish to remain at peace. But as your President rightly said yesterday, it must be peace rooted in strength—not fear,” Dr. Tharoor added.

Referring to the eventual de-escalation, he recounted that Pakistan reached out to India’s Director General of Military Operations on the morning of May 10, a move that contributed to cooling tensions. “If Pakistan stops, we will have no reason to retaliate. That, in the end, is what occurred,” he said.

Dr. Tharoor also emphasized India’s readiness to defend itself against any future aggression: “We are not afraid. But if attacked again, the response will be swift and more severe. Our message is clear: we are not interested in escalation, but we will not tolerate provocation.”

Operation Sindoor: A Focused Counter-Terror Response

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 in response to the deadly Pahalgam terrorist attack in April 2025, which claimed multiple civilian lives. The operation involved a series of calibrated and precision military strikes targeting terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK).

The strikes specifically targeted known hideouts of internationally banned terror outfits, including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. Indian authorities characterized the operation as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” reiterating that it was designed to neutralize immediate threats and prevent future terrorist activities.

Dr. Tharoor concluded by reaffirming India’s commitment to regional stability, stating that New Delhi’s posture was one of “steely determination” and that the international community must not respond to such developments with indifference, but with clarity and resolve.