In the wake of the tragic April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India has responded not merely with resolve at home, but with remarkable diplomatic momentum abroad. Operation Sindoor, New Delhi’s strategic outreach initiative, marks a historic and multi-pronged campaign to build international consensus against cross-border terrorism. What sets it apart is not just the scale and breadth of engagement, but its bipartisan unity, moral clarity, and diplomatic restraint—all deployed with strategic precision.

Over the past month, all-party parliamentary delegations, comprising leaders across India’s political spectrum and seasoned diplomats, have crisscrossed continents—from Latin America to Africa, the Gulf to Europe, and Southeast Asia to the Far East. These visits were not ceremonial; they were surgical, aimed at dismantling false narratives, exposing state sponsors of terrorism, and presenting India’s doctrine of zero tolerance in global capitals. Through much of May and early June, in Colombia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Indonesia, UAE, Japan, Congo, France, Guyana, Panama, Singapore, Kuwait, Slovenia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, and Qatar, Indian MPs explained Operation Sindoor as a “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible” response to terrorism, shunning rhetoric for substance. The common thread in these engagements was the reiteration of a fundamental principle: dialogue and terror cannot coexist; diplomacy and denialism cannot share the same table.

A central feature of this campaign was its emphasis on civil society and diaspora engagement. In Kuala Lumpur, Bogotá, Paris, and Kinshasa, the Indian diaspora voiced their solidarity, asserting that terrorism in Kashmir is not just India’s issue—it is a global threat. At every stop, Operation Sindoor was not only explained but contextualised—anchored in a broader call for global unity against radicalism, destabilisation, and cross-border violence.

Critically, India chose dialogue over escalation, and diplomacy over confrontation. Delegations respectfully mourned the victims of terrorism while engaging local think tanks, universities, media houses, and parliaments. This new face of Indian diplomacy—firm yet conciliatory—has enhanced the country’s international stature. Former Danish Ambassador Freddy Svane aptly captured this shift, noting that the world is now seeing India as a “strategic, visionary leader” capable of rallying the Global South and setting new red lines in the fight against terror.

Importantly, this initiative breaks the pattern of reactive diplomacy. Instead of waiting for multilateral forums to act, India is proactively shaping the global counter-terrorism discourse. Calls for Pakistan’s return to the FATF grey list, shared during several bilateral meetings, now carry the weight of a global coalition forming behind India’s stand.

This edition of India Empire carries exclusive conversations with two key diplomatic voices—the High Commissioner of Jamaica to India, H.E. Jason Hall, and the Ambassador of Paraguay, H.E. Fleming Duarte. Both envoys reflect on their countries’ ties with India in the backdrop of this new diplomatic tempo. Their insights, rich with candour and depth, reveal a growing recognition in Latin America and the Caribbean of India’s expanding role as a responsible, stabilising global power.

The unprecedented outreach under Operation Sindoor offers valuable lessons in international statecraft: when national unity meets global engagement, and when moral clarity meets diplomatic finesse, transformation is possible. As the delegations continue their journey, they carry not just the message of Indian resilience—but the hope that terror will no longer find refuge behind borders, bureaucracy, or silence. 

This is India’s new normal. And India Empire is proud to chronicle its unfolding.

Sayantan Chakravarty
sayantanc@gmail.com