'From land of Sindoor Khela': PM Modi invokes symbolism at Bengal rally, warns Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday invoked the deep cultural symbolism of Bengal’s Sindoor Khela to reinforce India’s hardened stance against terrorism, declaring that ‘Operation Sindoor’ is far from over and vowing further action against terror sponsors.Addressing his first rally in West Bengal since the launch of Operation Sindoor earlier this month, PM Modi said the recent anti-terror strikes had delivered a strong message to Pakistan. “We have entered your house and killed you three times,” the Prime Minister said to rousing applause, a likely reference to the 2016 surgical strikes, the 2019 Balakot air strikes, and the recent cross-border operations.‘Power of sindoor’ and the pain of PahalgamStanding on what he called the “sacred land of Sindoor Khela,” PM Modi linked the military operation to a powerful cultural symbol, the red vermillion applied by Bengali women during Durga Puja. He said the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which killed Indian soldiers, was an attempt to “wipe off the sindoor from our sisters’ foreheads.”"But our brave soldiers made them realise the power of that sindoor," he declared, echoing the phrase multiple times during his address.PM Modi told the gathering that the pain of the Pahalgam attack had resonated deeply in Bengal, and that Operation Sindoor was India’s collective response. “From this land of Bengal, I, on behalf of 140 crore Indians, declare that Operation Sindoor is not over yet,” he said.Pakistan warned: ‘Breeding ground for terror’Without naming specific missions, the Prime Minister said, “We destroyed cross-border terror infrastructure, which Pakistan had never thought of. We have hit Pakistan thrice inside their homes.”He accused Pakistan’s military establishment of harbouring terrorism. “Terrorism and mass murder are their biggest expertise, because they know they cannot win in a direct war,” PM Modi said.The Prime Minister also referred to Pakistan’s historical record of violence, recalling the atrocities committed during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. “The world has not forgotten the rapes and murders committed by the Pakistan Army in East Pakistan,” he said.‘India has changed’Concluding his speech, PM Modi issued a clear warning, “India has changed. We no longer tolerate such cowardly acts. And Operation Sindoor is our firm answer.”The speech marks a strategic fusion of emotion and aggression, using the cultural heartbeat of Bengal to drive home a national message that India’s fight against terror will be both symbolic and surgical.