J K Tripathi

On April 22, the world watched in shock the brutal killing of 26 innocent Indian tourists by the four terrorists trained and sponsored by Pakistan. The responsibility for this heinous crime was claimed by The Resistance Force (TRF), an front of Lashkar-e-Taiyaba, (LeT),  a well-known terrorist organisation which still operated from Pakistan even after being internationally banned.

Though an incensed population of India demanded, irrespective of their faith or creed, a befitting and stern action by India to ensure no recurrence of such cowardly and inhuman act, the Indian Government vowed to suitably punish not only the perpetrators of the crime but also to chase and eliminate their masters in Pakistan or wherever else they might be hiding on the globe. This was given the name “Operation Sindoor” as it was in retaliation to the sindoor (vermillion) that had been wiped out from the foreheads of the Hindu women whose husbands were murdered.

 As immediate steps, the Indian government suspended sine die the 1960 Indus Water treaty between the two countries, stopped and cancelled all types of visas to Pakistani citizens, further downgraded diplomatic relations by asking Pakistan to cut the size of its diplomats in India and declared Pak military attaches posted in India persona non grata.

As per the resolve of GOI to act against the terrorists and their masters, Indian Armed Forces, in an integrated, coordinated a swift mission, attacked and nine terrorist training centres located in Pakistan and razed most of them to the ground. Civil or military establishments in Pakistan were carefully avoided.

However, a freaked- out Pakistan escalated the war by targeting the civilian and military establishments in India though these misadventures by Pakistan were thwarted by the Indian air defence systems including the S-400 and the indigenously developed Akash system.

Then common sense dawned upon the Pakistani military and it requested for an immediate stoppage of hostilities and we graciously obliged. Though the US President is thumping his chest to claim credit for the ceasefire, we all know it was because of the resilience of our defence forces and our planners who meticulously analysed the developments, weighed the options available with their likely effects on the situation and, then came up with the least risky but most effective solution.

 And who were these minds involved in the strategy? Besides the chiefs of the three forces and the CDS, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Dobhal and the Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar were the ones who regularly attended the meetings called by the Prime Minister and advised him.

In fact, the NSA played a pivotal role during the entire episode. A veteran expert on Pakistan as he is, Doval has the sole distinction of operating incognito in Pakistan for a long time and, as such, he knows Pakistan inside out.

Be it in 2016, 2019 or now in the present situation, Doval was always on the forefront- formulating and executing India’s security policy, interacting with his counterparts in the USA, Pakistan, Iran and China, whenever it was required. He played a pivotal road in shaping India’s strategic response and in navigating through the already turbulent water of the complex diplomacy and in suggesting the process and scale of our response to the gruesome killing of innocent people in Pahalgam, and later to the Pak attack on our cities and civilian population,

Ajit Doval's role in the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict displays his strategic foresight and leadership in addressing the security challenges which are very complex in view of an arrogant neighbour in north, predictable but a constantly irritant neighbour in the west, a shaky Maldives in the south and now a friend -turned-foe Bangladesh in the east of India.

Working in tandem with S. Jaishankar, Doval’s approach, marrying military assertiveness with diplomatic manoeuvre, has been phenomenal in shaping India's response to regional threats. While the conflict highlighted the fragility of Indo-Pakistan relations, it also underscored the importance of effective leadership and strategic planning in managing and mitigating such crises.

Doval's strategic vision was central to the planning and execution of Operation Sindoor. The operation's precision and scale reflected a calculated response aimed at neutralizing terrorist threats while containing any escalation. His emphasis on "focused, measured, proportionate and non-escalatory" strikes demonstrated India's resolve to address the menace of terrorism while, at the same time, avoiding a full-blown war.

Throughout the conflict, Doval maintained close coordination with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior officials, to ensure that all constituents in the decision-making process are on the same platform and speak in same pitch. His diplomatic prowess was exemplified in India's rejection of third-party mediation, sending an unambiguous message to the world at large, and to Pakistan in particular, that the Kashmir issue was a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.

This stance remained unaltered despite the offers of mediation from many countries including from U.S. President Donald Trump.

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In conclusion, one thing is clear now- there would be no threat to the country, at least from the external factors, as long as the duo of Doval and Jaishankar are there to advise the captain of the ship called India.

Ambassador J.K. Tripathi is a former Diplomat