Poetry and powerful music: Army's sharp social media tactic hammer in Op Sindoor message

New Delhi: It is the message delivered that matters. While Operation Sindoor showcased India's military prowess and firm stand against terrorism, the armed forces put out sleek social media posts and videos, one with rock renditions of lines from Dinkar's ballad 'Rashmirathi', to drive home the point. India decimated nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir under Operation Sindoor with precision strikes early on May 7 in response to the dastardly April 22 Pahalgam massacre. At 1:44 am that day, the government, in a statement, underlined that India has demonstrated "considerable restraint" in the selection of targets and method of execution and that "no Pakistani military facilities have been targeted". Shortly after, the Indian Army's social media handles carried a poignant message with a poster that has now become a defining image of Operation Sindoor.

Along with the message "#PahalgamTerrorAttack Justice is Served. Jai Hind!" the Indian Army's 1:51 am X post carried a poster that was concise in words but heavy on symbolism. The poster had 'OPERATION SINDOOR' written on it with a small bowl carrying vermilion (worn by married Hindu women) forming the first 'O' of the second word while the second 'O' had a dash of the powder around it. Since then, the Indian Army has come up with several thematic short videos on social media platforms that have been widely shared and appreciated. All these videos were made in-house, by the Social Media Section of the Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Strategic Communication, sources in the military establishment said. The songs were carefully chosen, each based on the content and theme, they added. But a video that has stood out for its lyrical appeal and arresting visuals, is the one that was played just before the press briefing of the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) on Operation Sindoor on May 12. As the video rolled, a powerful rendition of a key verse from 'Krishna ki Chetavani', a part of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's timeless classic 'Rashmirathi' echoed. It was a metaphor-laden message delivered to Pakistan by the Indian military with poetic precision. In the video, the rock music style rendition was juxtaposed with the images of the Indian military assets -- missiles, naval platforms, weapon system, air defence system -- with subtitles. The Hindi lyrics that played along with the video roughly translates to "When doom hovers over a man, the first thing that vanishes is wisdom... you did not heed wise words, did not recognise the value of friendship... announcing the last resolve. There will be war and not pleading, glory to life or death it will be". The subtitles of the video carried the words 'prepared', 'each move detected', 'every step watched', 'tracked', 'monitored'. "The song was specially composed using the specific lines relevant for the theme. The rock music theme was chosen for the effect. The song was created by an in-house team using the latest technology available," a source in the defence establishment told media. A collage of images of the wreckage of Pakistani drones destroyed by the Indian armed forces under Operation Sindoor and a montage of videos showcasing India's military's prowess in all three domains -- land, air and sea -- played on a large screen along with music. Following the May 7 strikes by India, Pakistan attempted to counterattack on May 8, 9 and 10, but the Indian forces thwarted waves of aerial incursions efficiently. "The message intended to be conveyed through these music and videos for the audience was that the Indian Army is prepared, ready and capable of using decisive force against India's adversaries. "Those with nefarious designs against the nation should not lose sight of the Indian Army's might, reach and valour," another source in the defence establishment told media. Before the briefing by the military on May 11, Shiva Tandava Stotram was played on the big screen, setting the tone for the press conference. A montage of images showing damage inflicted by the Indian military under Operation Sindoor played with subtitles such as -- 'heed our advice', 'terrorism will have a cost for Pakistan', 'heavy', 'inevitable', 'unaffordable'. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the military confrontation after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.