The Fire of Sindoor Chronicles India's Strike on Terror

The Fire of Sindoor unveils India's May 2025 anti-terror strike, blending military insight with human stories in a bold, research-driven narrative.

on May 28, 2025

The Fire of Sindoor Chronicles India's Strike on Terror

As tensions between India and Pakistan remain running high, a strong new nonfiction book is about to shed light on a turning point in this long-running conflict. The Fire of Sindoor: India's Strike Against Terror, written by Roshan Bhondekar and Niloy Chattaraj, will be published soon by Write India Publishers in Ahmedabad. The book provides a deep insight into Operation Sindoor—India's surgical attacks on May 7, 2025—in response to the fatal Pahalgam terrorist attack mere weeks before.

Starting with the April 22, 2025 attack that took the lives of 26 civilians in Kashmir, the book traces the speedily building-up situation thereafter. Fueled by terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen, the attack goaded India into calling a well-planned assault across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). In The Fire of Sindoor, the authors have given a stage-by-stage chronological account of events, ranging from intelligence gathering and planning to the deployment of advanced weapons such as BrahMos and SCALP missiles in attacking nine strategic terror bases in regions like Bahawalpur and Muridke.

The title of the book is inspired by sindoor—vermilion powder representing justice and sacrifice in Indian culture—and is a tribute to the Indian Armed Forces and victims of terror. But even beyond military power, the book touches on the human and emotional aspects of the tale as well. Based on anonymized interviews of soldiers, intelligence agents, and civilians from PoJK, the authors of the book try to present a more complete picture of the price and payoff of war.

What is different about The Fire of Sindoor is its research-based, balanced approach. Bhondekar and Chattaraj provide a nuanced narrative of India's strategic intent, Pakistan's response, and the international diplomatic waves that followed. They quote international media, expert interviews, and defense briefings, offering a multi-dimensional view that avoids jingoism. The book also critiques media depictions and public opinion's role in influencing national narratives.

Roshan Bhondekar, with his acclaimed short films and positive story telling, and Niloy Chattaraj, a specialist in electronic warfare communication, come together and marry narrative style to technical competence. That they choose to donate all the royalties earned to Indian NGOs for orphaned children lends a social work aspect to their activity.

In a market saturated with South Asian war and politics books, The Fire of Sindoor is unique in its depth, objectivity, and empathy. It asks readers from India and around the world to consider the stakes of contemporary warfare, the gravity of justice, and the quest for peace.