Cold Start Reloaded: Sindoor as India's Red Line

India's post-colonial trajectory has been shaped by traumatic partitions, repeated wars with Pakistan (1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999), and a simmering insurgency culture fostered across the borders.

- Prof Satish Kumar & Dr. Amrita Banerjee

Pakistan's jihadist doctrine—especially post-1979 (Afghan war)—was slowly adapted against India, with Kashmir as the epicenter. Unlike conventional armies, India was now facing an enemy hidden within proxies, terror camps, and non-state actors.

Post-Kargil, India realized it couldn't afford long mobilizations. Pakistan had found ways to strike through irregular means while hiding behind its nuclear shield. It became clear that a short-window, high-precision response strategy was essential. Thus, the idea of the Cold Start Doctrine was born—designed for swift, limited offensives without crossing the nuclear red line.

In Sanskrit and Hindu tradition, sindoor is a powerful red mark that symbolizes marital sanctity and commitment. In military parlance, naming a strategic maneuver after it suggests something deeper: an irreversible vow to protect national integrity and sovereign identity. Sindoor: The last red line. If crossed, India would not hesitate.

The timing of Sindoor is crucial. The world is distracted by elections in the West, Ukraine remains embroiled in attrition warfare, and the South China Sea is boiling with power projections. India, meanwhile, has faced an unusual escalation of joint military exercises by China and Pakistan near its vulnerable northeastern corridor. These are not routine drills. Analysts note the precision and location—near the Chumbi Valley and close to the Siliguri Corridor, the 22-kilometer-wide Chicken's Neck connecting India to its northeast. It is the only link between mainland India and its eight northeastern states. It's a logistical artery, and any successful strike here would sever national integration.