In a rare and "symbolic" attempt to reflect representation, the high-level briefing in New Delhi on Operation Sindoor was led by two women officers – Colonel Sophia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
After an introduction by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, the briefing was conducted by the two women officers.
In 2016, Colonel Qureshi had made history as the first woman officer to have led a multinational military exercise that took place in Pune. The exercise called ‘Exercise Force 18’ was the largest foreign military exercise hosted by India and involved eighteen countries including the United States, Russia, Japan, Australia and more. Colonel Qureshi was the only woman officer to lead a contingent among all countries.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, is a decorated helicopter pilot of the Indian Air Force. She has operated air force helicopters namely ‘Cheetah’ and ‘Chetak’ in some of the toughest terrain, including Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose ‘Operation Sindoor’ as the name of the mission of counterstrike against Pakistan. ‘Sindoor’ refers to the red colored vermillion worn by Hindu women on their forehead to signify their married status.
During the Pahalgam attack on April 22, several men were asked their religion and shot dead before their wives and children. Another painful image of a woman slumped near her husband’s dead body became viral. The couple – Himanshi and Vinay Narwal – had gotten married just six days before the attack.
According to several media reports, the name ‘Operation Sindoor’ is meant to send a strong message of humanising the victims and survivors of the Kashmir terror attacks, and that it is a reminder and tribute to the widows of the attack.