Following a phenomenal display of valour, coordination and pinpoint precision during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Armed Forces have been named NDTV's Indian Of The Year for 2025.
In May, the Armed Forces struck terror bases in at least nine locations in Pakistan - including the headquarters of the Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke and Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur - as part of the Operation, which was a response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed.
Pakistan responded by attempting to attack Indian military installations and civilian locations by launching drones and missiles on three successive days, but was thwarted by India's air defence systems. The Indian Armed Forces, in turn, first took out some of Pakistan's air defence systems, including in Lahore, and then struck key military bases like the all-important Nur Khan airbase, also known as the Chaklala airbase.
Pakistan then sought a ceasefire and India agreed to a pause in hostilities.
As NDTV presented the armed forces with the honour, on stage were Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, Vir Chakra Awardees Colonel Koshank Lamba, Lieutenant Colonel Sushil Bisht, Naib Subedar Satish Kumar, Group Captain Manish Arora, Group Captain Kunal Kalra and Wing Commander Joy Chandra, and Nao Sena Medal gallantry awardee Commander Saurabh Kumar.
Air Marshal Dixit said the jointness of the services really took off after the Chief of Defence Staff was appointed. "In the last three to four years, we have worked very hard to achieve this jointness, and the result is in front of you. Jointness is not a slogan, it involves a lot of planning, taking action together and taking responsibility together. Communication, control of the escalation ladder... we have now learnt to do all of these things together. We have seen a small example, and we will see many more in the years to come," he said.
The Chief of Integrated Defence Staff said India's self-reliance was also on display during Operation Sindoor in terms of air defence systems and missiles.
Calm Before The Storm
Asked about his most memorable moments from the Operation, Colonel Koshank Lamba said he remembered the time just before it was launched.
"There was an eerie calm, which was a calm just before the storm we were about to unleash. In that moment, when I spoke to my men. I was thinking I would probably find fear or confusion or apprehension, but I saw a lot of 'josh', a lot of confidence, and I saw a fire. That was the fire we unleashed," he said.
Naib Subedar Satish Kumar said he faced his biggest challenge during Operation Sindoor when his mortar position was fired upon by two enemy mortar positions.
"Engaging two targets from one mortar position is very difficult, but I had four mortars, which I used to target both - two on each... Then I fired illumination and smoke rounds on three posts, which caused a fire across a 300-400-metre area and 30-35 mine blasts," he recounted.
'Begging For Mercy'
Group Captain Manish Arora said he was struck by how young men and women in his unit were raring to go. "That day, the room was slightly different. There was a calmness and stillness to them. When we looked each other in the eyes, we knew we were the answer to the tears of the 26 families who lost their loved ones (in the Pahalgam attack)... After four days of intense conflict, the enemy was on all fours, begging for mercy. It was a perfect display of professionalism and willpower," he said.
Group Captain Kunal Kalra said his proudest moment during Operation Sindoor was when his weapons left his aircraft and he saw them zoning in on the targets. "These weapons were carrying the nation's hope and prayers."
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/jSNwrPz
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