Operation Sindoor was not a move of aggression against the country of Pakistan, but a selective action against terrorism.
Viewpoint
byIshanee Chaliha
India started Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, as a retaliatory action against the Pahalgam attack on April 22, 2025, that massacred 26 civilians. The attack was a massive blow to the Indian nation and the world in general.
Operation Sindoor was initiated as a retaliation with precision and hit nine targeted terrorist camps- four within Pakistan and five within Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation was tactically commanded and guided by Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofia Qureshi, and its successful accomplishment was greeted with overwhelming national admiration.
International responses to the operation were highly polarized. Israel expressed unambiguous support to India, labeling the operation as a rightful act of self-defence. Its Indian ambassador stated that “terrorists must know there is no hiding from their atrocious act against the innocents.”
On the contrary, countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and Germany called for restraint and the resumption of diplomatic talks. U.S. President Donald Trump even went to the extent of condemning the operation as a “shame,” whereas the foreign secretary of the U.K. warned that "if this escalates further, nobody wins." Likewise, a Taliban statement from Afghanistan called for restraint and diplomatic talks on both sides.
These reactions have, however, raised some serious questions regarding the double standards of international diplomacy. Historical experiences indicate that terrorist attacks against Western countries frequently trigger massive military interventions under the pretext of an international war against terror.
However, when identical events take place in non-Western nations, particularly those in the Global South, response measures are most often termed as unwarranted or shameful. In addition, nations like China, which were accused of giving military aid to Pakistan, are now emerging as impartial intermediaries, contributing to the intricacies and perceived paradoxes of the international reaction.
Operation Sindoor was not a move of aggression against the country of Pakistan, but a selective action against terrorism. By limiting itself to targeting militant infrastructure and avoiding civilian casualties, the operation helps underline India's long-standing role as a country that never seeks war, yet has the will and ability to finish it once provoked. The international community's disparate responses to the operation lead one to pose the following critical question: Are such reactions based on genuine diplomatic concern or part of a larger trend of geopolitical hypocrisy?
Ishanee Chaliha a student studying political science at Christ University in Bangalore. In her free time she enjoys learning new languages and is currently working toward proficiency in Korean and German. She believes the key to a good life starts within yourself which is to find your individuality and cultivate on it and later contribute to the society through it.
SJO defeats Unity 10-0 on the road to clinch the Illini Prairie Conference title behind Pruemer’s shutout and Houchens’ 3-run homer.
TOLONO — St. Joseph-Ogden wrapped up a dominant Illini Prairie Conference season with an emphatic 10-0 shutout victory over rival Unity on Thursday, capping off a perfect run through league play.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Spartan pitcher winds up for a pitch against Westville on April 30. The junior hurler picked the win against Unity on Thursday.
The Spartans (27-2) controlled the game from the opening inning and never let up, scoring in four of six innings and leaning on a sharp pitching performance from Asher Pruemer to keep the Rockets (14-10) scoreless on their home field. The win clinched the conference title outright and extended SJO’s winning streak with just days remaining in the regular season.
Pruemer was in command throughout, scattering just two hits while striking out four in a six-inning complete game. The right-hander walked one and faced minimal traffic, thanks in part to clean defense and early run support.
SJO got on the board quickly in the first. After Will Haley drew a walk in his opening at-bat, he scored the game’s first run on Trevor Ames’ two-out single to center. That opened the floodgates — Logan Rosenthal, Ames, and Nolan Earley also came around in the inning to give the Spartans a 4-0 lead.
Unity’s Brady Parr struggled with command, allowing six hits, nine total runs — four earned — and issuing six walks in just 2 2/3 innings.
The Spartans added two more runs in the second behind Kodey McKinney’s sharp single down the right field line, extending the lead to 6-0. But the big blow came in the bottom of the third, when Bryson Houchens crushed a three-run homer to left, scoring Rosenthal and Pruemer to put SJO up 9-0.
McKinney, who went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, drove in the final run in the sixth, plating pinch runner Dalton York to end the game via run rule.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Spartans' Bryson Houchens loads for swing on Normal U-High pitch last month. He has hit home runs in last three outtings for SJO.
Houchens finished with three RBIs on the homer, and also scored twice. Rosenthal and Ames also crossed the plate twice apiece as the Spartans combined for nine hits and seven walks in the contest.
Unity’s lone offensive highlights came from Nolan Remole and Coleton Langendorf, who each recorded one hit, but the Rockets couldn’t generate sustained pressure against Pruemer.
St. Joseph-Ogden now turns its attention to a nonconference home matchup against Reed-Custer on Saturday as the Spartans continue to build momentum for the postseason.
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