In a strongly worded editorial on May 8, Deepika, widely regarded as the mouthpiece of the Christian Church, Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) in Kerala, expressed its firm support for India’s recent counter-terrorism measures under what it called Operation Sindoor. The editorial asserts that India has successfully dismantled “some of the Asian cooking pots of Islamic terrorism”, which, it claims, are “destroying world peace.”
The editorial employs powerful symbolism, stating that the operation amounted to India “entering the homes of those who tried to wipe off the vermilion of Indian women in Kashmir and giving them vermilion bags.” It elaborates further, claiming India “delivered vermilion bags at midnight to those who came to ask for vermilion in broad daylight.” The metaphor implies a moral and cultural victory against those threatening national integrity and peace. It issues a stern warning: “If they do not stop, they can even be given a Holi,” implying more intensified responses to continued provocations.
The editorial doesn’t stop at praising India’s internal efforts. It levels harsh criticism at certain international players. Turkey is described as “a country sweating to bring back the caliphate of Islamic terrorism in the modern era.” At the same time, China is labelled “a communist dictatorship that is the protector of Islamic terrorism in Asia.” The editorial insists that even countries that are not overtly aligned with such causes but offer “backdoor help” should be recognised and held accountable.
Rejecting that the matter is limited to India and Pakistan, Deepika frames the operation as India’s broader contribution to global security. “This is not just an India-Pakistan issue, but India’s contribution to global counter-terrorism,” the editorial declares.
In conclusion, the editorial brands Islamic terrorism “the challenge of the 21st century,” likening it to “a deadly virus that is impossible to prevent until it is recognised and treated too late.” It maintains that the destruction of terror centres around the world is essential for sustainable peace.
The translation of the editorial: “India has entered the homes of those who tried to wipe off the vermilion from the foreheads of Indian women in Kashmir and handed them back vermilion bags. India’s retaliation against Islamic terrorism in Pakistan has destroyed nine terror camps. This operation, launched at night without disturbing the sleep of Pakistani civilians, has been named Operation Sindoor. At midnight, India delivered vermilion bags to those who had dared to ask for them in broad daylight. If they do not stop, India can deliver a Holi instead. War is not a celebration for India; it desires peace above all.
India responded at midnight on May 6 to the Pakistani terrorist attack that killed 26 innocent civilians in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22. Despite the passage of 14 days, Pakistan took no action against the terrorists and instead threatened India with nuclear weapons. The Indian Army confirmed that the retaliation targeted camps belonging to prominent terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. The Army released images of destroyed terrorist training camps located in Muzaffarabad, Sarjal, Kotli, Gulpur, Sialkot, Barnala, Muridke, Bhawalpur, and Sawai. In a press briefing, the Army stated that five camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were demolished. The operation also struck the headquarters of terrorist leader Masood Azhar. Reports indicate that ten of his family members, including his sister, were killed in the attack.
The terrorists had confirmed that the victims were not of their religion before murdering them. They killed their husbands in the eyes of their wives, leaving the women to live with the trauma. A barbarity that only a religious cult is capable of. India wept, but did not lose its resolve. It brought two women to the fore to confront Pakistan, which has harboured and nurtured terrorists. Air Force Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Army Colonel Sophia Qureshi also attended the press conference. Yes, the nation now stands with the very women whose hearts were once shattered beside the corpses of their husbands in Pahalgam. This retaliation is also the answer given by women to the terrorists, said Aarti, daughter of Kochi native N. Ramachandra, who was killed in the attack. She added that she salutes those who named the operation “Operation Sindoor.”
After the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan tried to mislead the global community with lies. Yet, more than any other democratic nation, the world stood with India. Pakistan once again approached the United Nations with its familiar strategy backed by Muslim terrorists and their shadow allies. Still, this time, it failed to gain the support it sought from the Security Council. The only countries that openly supported Pakistan were China, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. Turkey is a nation desperate to revive the caliphate of Islamic terrorism in the modern age.
Last year, Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, deported the remaining Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, continuing the legacy of Turkey’s genocide of Armenian Christians during the First World War. China, a communist dictatorship, shelters the Asian wing of Islamic terrorism. Even if only these three nations stand by them, the world must identify those who lend backdoor support. India has dismantled several Asian breeding grounds of Islamic terrorism that threaten world peace. This is not merely an India-Pakistan issue—it is India’s contribution to global counter-terrorism. The destruction of Islamic terrorist centres across the world is necessary for lasting peace.
In Pakistan, where inflation is spiralling, rice prices have soared beyond 100 per kilogram. The cost of essential goods has skyrocketed. This nation, which is starving while fuelling terrorism, survives only on loans from countries such as China, the IMF, and the ADB. India’s decision to block river water flow and cut trade ties after the Pahalgam attack has added to Pakistan’s crisis. Yet, extremists there continue to chant the perverted mantra of exterminating followers of other religions.
Pakistan is a sanctuary for extremists who have dragged their people back by centuries, promising them the lush rewards of the afterlife born from religious fanaticism. Along with defending itself, India must also ensure that these poisonous seeds, which only germinate through terrorism, do not take root in its secular soil. The greatest challenge of the 21st century is Islamic extremism, a deadly virus that is impossible to contain unless recognised in time”.
