The Services Mustn't Allow 'Operation Sindoor' To Be Cheapened By The Corporate Brands

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 9 May 2025 Reliance Industries Limited was the first to file a trademark application for “Operation Sindoor” — just hours after the Indian military operation of the same name was announced. Within the next 24 hours, three more applicants followed, all seeking exclusive rights under Class 41, which covers entertainment, education, cultural and media services. Facing backlash from all quarters, Reliance Industries withdrew its trademark application for the term 'Operation Sindoor' — the codename for India's military strikes in Pakistan — stating that it was inadvertently filed by a junior employee without authorisation. Isn't it quite easy to scapegoat and sack a junior employee for the company's nationwide embarrassment? The four applications — submitted between 10:42 AM and 6:27 PM on May 7, 2025 — were made by Reliance, Mumbai resident Mukesh Chetram Agrawal, retired Indian Air Force officer Group Captain Kamal Singh Oberh, and Delhi-based lawyer Alok Kothari. Each application marks the phrase as “proposed to be used”, indicating plans to deploy it for commercial purposes. 'Operation Sindoor' refers to a recent Indian cross-border military strike that sparked nationwide attention. The phrase quickly gained symbolic weight, with “Sindoor” evoking traditional Indian notions of sacrifice and valour. Its powerful emotional and patriotic resonance has made it a sought-after term for use in films, media, and public discourse — and, now, as a commercial trademark. There's a poignant Sri Lankan adage in Sinhalese which, when translated, means: Even a slain soldier's blood-soaked uniform is useful to a greedy businessman. The aforementioned business tycoons have no ethics. These companies want to own the name, 'Operation Sindoor' for business purposes. This rapacity must be condemned by all. One important thing to note here is that military operation names in India are not automatically safeguarded as intellectual property. The Ministry of Defence does not typically register or restrict the commercial use of these names, leaving them open for private trademark claims. While it's the magnanimity of the Services not to stake a claim to the names of its various operations, their use (or misuse?) by corporate brands is a travesty of a sombre, serious and sacrosanct mission. That's the reason, we don't get to hear any brand with names or taglines like Operation Smiling Buddha or Operation Blue Star. By the way, Operation Smiling Buddha was the codename for India's first nuclear test, conducted on May 18, 1974, at the Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. The operation was named after Buddha Purnima, the day the test was conducted. Operation Blue Star was a military operation conducted by the Indian Armed Forces on June 6, 1984 to remove Sikh militants, including Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, from the Golden Temple and its surrounding buildings in Amritsar. Business and Corporate brands can stoop to any level for, they've no empathy for the soldiers and their sacrifices. They often have an unethical approach to their business practices and deals. No one from Ambani's family ever joined the Services and fought for the country. Can these people, living in clover, ever empathise with the lives and missions of soldiers? What all these rapacious people know is: Amassing more wealth by hook or by crook. The Services mustn't allow 'Operation Sindoor' to be cheapened by the civilians. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/services-operation-sindoor-cheapened-corporate/d/135480 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism