Honor Deferred: In Operation Sindoor, Profits and Losses

War is covert and strategy may require deception. But that is not a good explanation for the fact that the Narendra Modi government took over a year before formally acknowledging that six soldiers had lost their lives in Operation Sindoor in 2025. India launched cross-border military strikes in Pakistan in retaliation for the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 innocent people. From the beginning, the government has been reluctant to share any meaningful details of Operation Sindoor, even as it has consistently maintained a hyperbolic self-aggrandizing stance. Her decision not to simultaneously recognize and honor the ultimate sacrifice of fallen soldiers was hardly a sign of any wise strategy. Casualties can happen in any military operation and this is a key factor in any military planning and more importantly the political decision to go to war or not. Not being transparent about losses, both human and material, may serve the political interests of the ruling party, but not the national interests. By trying to be clever and selective about the facts, the government has undermined its own credibility and done a disservice to those who paid with their lives. Soon after the end of the operation in May 2025, the then Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Lt. Gen. Rajiv Ghai, during a press briefing on 11 May 2025, paid tribute to the Indian military personnel who made the supreme sacrifice, though their names were not disclosed.

Cremations were conducted with full military honors. In August 2025, Air Chief AP Singh visited the family of Sergeant Surendra Kumar, who was killed during an operation, while the Ministry of Defense also announced gallantry awards for the fallen personnel. Tributes were simultaneously carried on the official social media platforms of the Indian Army. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said this in the Lok Sabha on 28 July 2025 “no Indian soldiers were injured” during Operation Sindoor. After allegations that she had misled Parliament, the government has now clarified that the minister’s remarks were made in the context of reports that Indian planes had been shot down and were meant to clarify that no pilot was killed during the mission. The government also claimed that details regarding aircraft losses during the conflict remained operationally sensitive and refused to release them. A distinction must be made between operational secrecy and public accountability requirements. War is a clear demonstration that the public always pays for all government actions. Public P&L accounting is the best way to ensure wise decision making.

Published – 30 Jun 2026 0:20 AM IST