Armed forces demonstrated strength of jointness, strategic foresight during Operation Sindoor: Prez

New Delhi, Oct 7 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said that the country's armed forces demonstrated the strength of jointness and strategic foresight during Operation Sindoor, which also resulted in dismantling of terror infrastructure across the Line of Control (LoC).

In response to the Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.

Addressing the faculty and course members of the 65th National Defence College course, who had called on the president at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, Murmu said the changing geo-political environment and security contexts call for dynamic responses.

India is engaged in transforming the armed forces into a technologically advanced combat-ready force capable of multi-domain integrated operations, she said.

"Our armed forces demonstrated the strength of jointness and strategic foresight during Operation Sindoor. The calibrated, tri-service response resulted in effective synergy.

"This synergy was behind the successful campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the line-of-control and deeper inside the territories across the border," Murmu said, and expressed effusive appreciation for the leadership of the armed forces.

The president said that the process of promoting jointness started with the creation of the Department of Military Affairs with the Chief of Defence Staff as its secretary.

"I am happy to note that efforts are underway to restructure forces through the establishment of Integrated Theatre Commands and Integrated Battle Groups," she said.

Murmu said universal values are at the core of defining our national interests and the Indian tradition has always looked at the entire humanity as one family.

"This rich sentiment of the entire world being one family is expressed in our ancient saying ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’. Universal brotherhood and peace have been our articles of faith. But we have also given importance to being battle-ready to defeat the forces that are harmful to humanity and our nation," she said.

Citing the 'Mahabharata', the epic on the great war which is said to have been fought centuries ago, the president said it find expressions of the values we cherish.

"Every attempt was made to avoid the war and arrive at an amicable solution. Efforts for peace were led by Krishna, the principal character, who is regarded by us as a divine entity. When the war became unavoidable, Krishna told Arjuna, one of the most important warriors, to get rid of all doubts and fight bravely. Thus, the holistic Indian approach to war and peace, gives the highest importance to the values of peace and non-violence," she said.

But it also strongly inspires to fight with utmost resolve when a battle becomes unavoidable, Murmu added.

"An interesting physical reflection of the holistic Indian value-system can be seen in the premises of ‘Gandhi Smriti’ and the ‘National Defence College’ facing each other, more out of co-incidence than design. It is as if nature placed the two institutions close together to remind us of our integrated values," the president said. PTI AKV AKV MNK MNK