Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s resolve against terrorism, says Rajnath Singh at SCO meet

What Happened

• India's Defence Minister addressed the SCO Defence Ministers' meeting held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on 28 April 2026.
• The Defence Minister presented Operation Sindoor — India's military strikes of May 7–10, 2025, conducted in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack of April 22, 2025 — as a demonstration of India's resolve that "terrorism epicentres are no longer immune to justifiable punishment."
• India called on SCO member states to pursue "appropriate action against those who abet, shelter, and provide safe havens to terrorists," without naming any specific country.
• The address emphasised that counter-terrorism, along with combating separatism and extremism, forms the core founding mandate of the SCO, invoking the organisation's "Three Evils" framework.
• The Tianjin Declaration (from the preceding SCO meeting) was cited as evidence of collective SCO commitment against terrorism.
• The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the SCO was recognised as an important institutional mechanism for advancing the counter-terrorism mandate.

Static Topic Bridges

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a Eurasian political, economic, and security intergovernmental organisation. It was established on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, evolving from the "Shanghai Five" grouping (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) formed in 1996 with the addition of Uzbekistan. The SCO Charter was signed on 7 June 2002 in Saint Petersburg (came into force: 19 September 2003). The organisation's founding mandate centres on three primary threats — terrorism, separatism, and religious extremism — collectively termed the "Three Evils." The SCO Secretariat is headquartered in Beijing, China.

Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS)

RATS is the permanent organ of the SCO specifically mandated for counter-terrorism cooperation. It was established by a decision of the SCO Council of Heads of State on June 7, 2002 in Saint Petersburg and became operational in 2004. RATS is headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Its mandate covers coordination of intelligence, counterterrorism, and counterintelligence efforts among member states, targeting the "Three Evils." All SCO member states contribute liaison officers and share intelligence through RATS. India has been an active participant in RATS exercises; India assumed RATS Chairmanship in October 2021 and hosted a RATS Practical Seminar in New Delhi in December 2023.

Operation Sindoor: India's Counter-Terrorism Doctrine

Operation Sindoor was India's military operation launched on May 7, 2025, in direct response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack of April 22, 2025, in which 26 civilians (mostly tourists) were killed. India targeted nine terrorist infrastructure sites of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in under 23 minutes. The Indian government characterised the operation as targeted, calibrated, and non-escalatory — explicitly stating that no Pakistani military or civilian facilities were targeted. A ceasefire came into effect on May 10, 2025. The operation marked a doctrinal shift: India demonstrated willingness to conduct cross-border precision strikes in response to state-abetted terrorism, publicly articulating a "no immunity for terrorism epicentres" posture.

India's Doctrine of Strategic Autonomy and Counter-Terrorism

India's approach to international forums on terrorism is anchored in its doctrine of "strategic autonomy" — the principle of maintaining independent foreign policy positions. India's stated counter-terrorism policy distinguishes between state-sponsored terrorism (where it seeks multilateral accountability) and military responses to direct threats (which it treats as a sovereign right under Article 51 of the UN Charter on self-defence). India is not a member of any military alliance but uses multilateral platforms like the SCO, BRICS, and the UN Security Council (as a non-permanent member) to advance its counter-terrorism agenda.

Key Facts & Data

• SCO founded: June 15, 2001 (Shanghai)
• SCO Charter signed: June 7, 2002; entered into force: September 19, 2003
• SCO Secretariat HQ: Beijing, China
• RATS HQ: Tashkent, Uzbekistan; established 2002, operative 2004
• SCO current membership: 9 members (China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan)
• India and Pakistan joined SCO: June 2017 (Astana Summit)
• India's SCO Chairmanship: 2023
• Pahalgam attack: April 22, 2025; 26 civilians killed
• Operation Sindoor: May 7–10, 2025; nine targets struck in under 23 minutes
• SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting location: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (April 28, 2026)
• India proposed Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT): 1996 (pending adoption at UN)