Operation Sindoor not just military mission, but reflection of changing India: PM Modi
New Delhi, May 25 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that Operation Sindoor was not just a military mission, but "the face of a changing India" that reflects the country's resolve, courage, and growing strength on the global stage.
Addressing his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister termed Operation Sindoor as a turning point in the global fight against terror and a symbol of India's growing strength and clarity of purpose.
Leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance, who had gathered here for a meeting, listened to the Prime Minister’s Mann ki Baat address together.
Operation Sindoor was launched on the intervening night of May 6-7 to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack.
In retaliation, the Indian armed forces struck terror sites, including the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
The Prime Minister said Operation Sindoor has infused the entire nation with a sense of patriotism with people declaring to prefer Made in India goods over imported ones.
"Today the entire country is united against terrorism, filled with anger and determination," Modi said.
"This itself is the real strength of India. I urge all of you too. Come, let us take a pledge on this occasion, wherever possible in our lives, we will accord priority to products made in the country," he said.
"This is not just a matter of economic self-reliance — it is a feeling of participation in nation building. One step of ours can become a huge contribution to the progress of India," he said.
The Prime Minister said the precision with which Indian forces attacked the terrorist infrastructure across the border was "extraordinary."
Modi emphasised that the operation was not a one-off military action, but a reflection of a changing and resolute India.
"Operation Sindoor is the picture of our resolve, courage, and the face of a changing India," he said.
The operation's success was followed by a series of gestures in tribute to the armed forces, ranging from patriotic poems on social media to paintings by children and massive Tiranga Yatras.
"In many cities, youth volunteered for civil defence, wrote poems, sang songs of resolve, and children made paintings carrying powerful messages," Modi said.
He talked about a recent visit to Bikaner where he was gifted paintings made by children.
"In cities like Katihar and Kushinagar, families named their newborns 'Sindoor' in honour of the operation," he said.
The Prime Minister credited India's home-grown defence capabilities for the mission's success, following the spirit of 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat'.
"This was the ultimate bravery of our soldiers, backed by the power of weapons, equipment, and technology made in India," he said.
Modi noted a renewed energy across the country towards the 'Vocal for Local' campaign post-Operation Sindoor, saying the mission had not just inspired patriotism but also strengthened the spirit of self-reliance.
"This victory carries the sweat of our engineers, technicians, and every citizen who contributed," he said.
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Two injuries, one DNF, a DQ as India end messy World Relays campaign
Gaborone (Botswana) (PTI): Amoj Jacob and Ragul Kumar got injured during the men's 4x400m and 4x100 races respectively as India ended their World Athletics Relays campaign in disappointment on the second day of competitions here on Sunday.
The Indian camp had high hopes of making the 2027 World Championships in the men's 4x400m relay but the team did not finish (DNF) the race as Jacob suffered cramps and pulled out of the race after taking the baton from the first leg runner Dharamveer Choudhary. Rajesh Ramesh and Vishal TK were to run in the third and fourth legs.
Those teams which could not qualify for the 2027 Beijing World Championships by reaching the final round of each of the six relay events on Saturday were given another chance in the second qualification round on Sunday.
The top two teams in each of the two heats (in all six relay events) booked the Beijing ticket on Sunday.
India will now have to try and qualify for the World Championships through the Top Lists of the World Athletics, which is a long and tedious process.
In the men's 4x100m race, third leg runner Ragul Kumar fell down the track after failing to hand over the baton inside the exchange zone to fourth leg runner Gurindervir Singh, which clearly showed the lack of coordination among the runners.
Harsh Santosh Raut and Animesh Kujur ran the first two legs.
The Indian quartet was disqualified and Kumar was seen being taken away from the Field of Play with the help of the volunteers.
It was a comedy of errors in the case of the women's 4x100m race, which saw the baton being dropped during an exchange between first leg runner Tamanna and second runner Nithya Gandhe, though the Indians finished the race in 53.09 seconds.
Gandhe started running quite a distance, but after realising that the baton was not in her hand, she turned and ran back to pick it up.
The only silver-lining for the Indian contingent was the national record time in the mixed 4x100m relay race, though the quartet of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS finished sixth in heat number two with a time of 41.35 seconds, bettering the previous national mark of 42.30 seconds set in March in Chandigarh.
The mixed 4x400m relay quartet of Theerthesh P Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur ended at fifth in heat number one with a time of 3 minutes and 19.40 seconds.
On Saturday, all the five Indian relay teams had failed to make it to the respective final rounds and thus missed out on the 2027 World Championships berths.
