Operation Sindoor – A Reckoning of Justice and the Fight for India’s Daughters

Prof. Simranjit Singh is a Jadetimes Editor In Cheif

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Image Sorce: ANI

The tremors of Operation Sindoor continue to reverberate across the nation. What began as a covert intelligence operation has exploded into a public awakening—an overdue reckoning in a country that has for far too long allowed crimes against women to persist in the shadows of societal shame, patriarchal complicity, and bureaucratic silence.

As the Editor-in-Chief of JadeTimes, I feel a moral obligation—both as a journalist and as a citizen—to reflect on the significance of this watershed moment. Operation Sindoor is not merely a series of arrests or a high-profile scandal; it is a mirror held up to the soul of our republic. It is both an exposé and a cry for justice. It is an indictment of apathy and a call to conscience. This editorial is not just a review of facts—it is a rallying cry.

The Unveiling: What Operation Sindoor Exposed

The operation—an unprecedented collaboration between the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Commission for Women (NCW), and digital forensic units—was designed to infiltrate human trafficking networks under the guise of matrimonial alliances. The name "Sindoor" was chosen intentionally; in Indian culture, sindoor symbolises marriage and protection. Yet in the shadows, that very symbol was weaponised—used to ensnare, manipulate, and traffic vulnerable women under the illusion of domestic security.

Investigations revealed hundreds of cases across multiple states—Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal—where women were promised marriage and a better future, only to be forced into servitude, sexual exploitation, or sold into domestic labour. Some were as young as 14.

This was not just a matter of broken promises or familial betrayal. This was organised crime operating beneath the veneer of tradition and cultural normalcy.

The Systemic Betrayal

Let us be honest: what Operation Sindoor unearths is not new. The machinery of gendered exploitation has always existed, but we, the state and society, have failed to dismantle it. This betrayal is two-fold.

First, by families. In countless cases, girls were knowingly "married off" into exploitative circumstances in exchange for dowries, debt relief, or social mobility. The commodification of daughters in the name of honour continues unabated.

Second, by the institutions that claim to protect them. Police stations turned away survivors. Panchayats mediated rape cases like land disputes. NGOs struggled with inadequate funding and minimal political backing. Worse, local politicians and bureaucrats were complicit, offering protection to perpetrators in exchange for votes or bribes.

It took Operation Sindoor to drag this rotting edifice into the daylight.

Media’s Role and Responsibility

I will not absolve the media. We, too, have blood on our hands. Our primetime debates glorify political mudslinging but grow silent on issues like trafficking, rape, and child marriage. We chase TRPs with sensationalism, not systemic reporting. The mainstream media had the data, the complaints, the voices—but we did not connect the dots. We failed to pursue the truth with the aggression it warranted.

At JadeTimes, we pledge to change that. Investigative journalism must once again become a sword against institutional rot. We will commit more resources to gendered reporting, partner with grassroots organisations, and provide space to survivors whose stories deserve national attention, not token pity.

Legal Repercussions: A Turning Point or a Mere Performance?

Since the operation broke, over 500 arrests have been made. Three sitting MLA’s and one Rajya Sabha MP have been implicated. A special fast-track court has been announced, and the Home Ministry has promised stricter guidelines for inter-state marriages and digital matrimonial portals.

But will it be enough?

Judicial processes in India are glacial. Of the 33,000 pending cases of crimes against women in fast-track courts, less than 15% have seen convictions in the last three years. Laws exist, but enforcement is whimsical, especially when power and patriarchy shield the accused.

Unless Operation Sindoor leads to structural changes—police reform, judicial accountability, protection protocols for whistleblowers—it risks becoming yet another tragic chapter in the anthology of public amnesia.

The Courage of Survivors

Let us not forget: this operation would not have been possible without the courage of survivors. Women who, after years of trauma and silence, risked everything to speak up. Women who wore hidden microphones, smuggled documents, and endured public shame to ensure the next girl would not suffer the same fate.

One such survivor, 17-year-old Payal from Darbhanga, Bihar, told our correspondent, “They told me I was going to be a bride. I ended up cleaning floors and being raped for 16 months. But now, I want my voice to matter. I want justice.”

It is for Payal—and thousands like her—that we must not let this moment pass.

Cultural Reforms: Beyond Law and Order

India does not suffer from a lack of laws. We suffer from a lack of will to challenge the societal norms that sustain misogyny.

Dowry continues despite legislation. Child marriage persists under the radar. Girls are taught to endure, not resist. Men are rarely taught to respect, only to dominate.

We need cultural upheaval. This means rewriting textbooks, sensitising police cadets, empowering ASHA workers, and including sex education in schools. It means engaging with religious leaders and village elders who sway communities. Reform must begin at the grassroots—or it will not begin at all.

What Comes Next: Our Pledge as a Nation

As Editor-in-Chief, I call upon every reader, policymaker, activist, teacher, and parent: Operation Sindoor is not someone else’s problem. It is our collective wound. Let us not allow its memory to fade with the news cycle.

Let this operation be the first in a series—Sindoor, yes, but followed by Operation Shakti, Operation Savitri, Operation Azadi. Let each one uproot a different form of patriarchal violence.

Let us fund shelters, not statues. Let us build courts, not palaces. Let us reward whistleblowers, not silence them. Let us make it unprofitable to traffic women—and unthinkable to exploit them.

The time for performative outrage is over. The time for structural change is now.

A Final Word

To those still in power who profited from this silence, your time is up. To the young girls still living in fear, help is coming. To the journalists who hesitate to speak truth to power, this is your moment of reckoning.

Operation Sindoor is a stain on our national conscience, but it is also a flame. May we let it burn down the walls of silence and illuminate the path forward.