Operation Sindoor: Meet Vikram Misri, Indian diplomacy's face during tensions with Pakistan

Amid the India-Pak tensions, one name that was in almost every headline was Vikram Misri, the Foreign Secretary of India. When India launched Operation Sindhur on May 7 on nine terror sites in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan, Misri gave the first briefing regarding it with Col Sofia Quraishi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.

Just two days after the operation, a ceasefire was announced between India and Pakistan on May 10. Misri, in a briefing, announced that both nations have reached an agreement and decided to halt the arms. But, on the unfortunate side, some people on the social media platform X targeted the foreign secretary with hate comments for not taking "stricter" actions against Pakistan. The trolling of the official escalated to a level that Misri had to lock his X profile.

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A Kashmiri by birth

Vikram Misri is a diplomat from the 1989 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). Misri, a Kashmiri Pandit, was born in Srinagar. He completed his early schooling at Burn Hall School and DAV School in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

He got his Bachelor’s degree with Honours in History from the Hindu College, University of Delhi and an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur.Misri shares two children with his wife Dolly Misri.

Early career

Before being part of the Indian administration, Misri worked in the advertising sector for three years.He speaks fluent Hindi, English and Kashmiri and has a working knowledge of French.

Misri becameIndia's Foreign Secretary in July 2024. According to the external affairs ministry, Misri was part of the Pakistan desk of the Ministry of External Affairs.

'Utterly shameful'

Some X users attacked Misri for not taking stricter action against Pakistan.

People also attacked Misri'sdaughter, Didon Misri, whois basedin London. Shewas accused of providing legal support to Rohingya refugees.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi came out stronglyin support ofMisri after the online attacks on him.

“Mr Vikram Misri is a decent and honest, hard-working diplomat working tirelessly for our nation. Our civil servants work under the executive.Thismust be rememberedandtheyshouldn’tbe blamedfor the decisions taken by the executive/or any political leadership running Watan E Aziz,”Owaisi said on X.

Former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Menon Rao wrote,“It’sutterly shameful to troll Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his family over the India-Pakistan ceasefire announcement. A dedicated diplomat, Misri has served India with professionalism and resolve, and there is no ground whatsoever for his vilification. Doxxing his daughter and abusing his loved ones crosses every line of decency. This toxic hate must stop—stand united behind our diplomats, not tear them down."