SRINAGAR: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Operation Sindoor was paused only after Pakistan’s plea for ceasefire.
He said this on the occasion of International Yoga Day, where he was leading troops at Northern Command Headquarters in J&K’s Udhampur.
Singh led the armed forces in celebrating the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) by performing various asanas and breathing exercises with about 2,500 soldiers at Northern Command, Udhampur.
The defence minister had arrived at the North Command headquarters yesterday evening.
While addressing the soldiers, the Defence Minister credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for popularising yoga globally and highlighted that the practice provides a holistic approach to health & well-being.
Yoga, he said, is a universal solution to the problems faced by people in today’s fast-paced world, such as stress, anxiety and depression. “It is an art, a science, a philosophy, and spirituality. Those who practice Yoga in their daily lives have control over their body and mind. It makes us proactive, not reactive”.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, he said, “Operation Sindoor is a shining example of that control. The Indian Armed Forces displayed restraint, balance and precision during the operation, which is a reflection of their inner strength attained by practising Yoga."
On May 7, the Indian military launched Operation Sindoor to target and destroy terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK to avenge the April 22 terror attack on tourists at Baisaran, Pahalgam in J&K in which 25 tourists and a local ponywala were killed.
The Operation Sindoor was followed by three days of skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani forces, and both countries reached a ceasefire on May 10.
The Defence Minister said India’s social and communal unity was targeted through the Pahalgam terror attack, and “Operation Sindoor was a clear message to Pakistan that it will face the consequences for supporting terror activities against India”.
“Operation Sindoor is the natural progression of the surgical strike of 2016 and the air strike on Balakote of 2019. The Operation Sindoor was executed in such a way that Pakistan requested a ceasefire, and only then did we put a pause to the operation,” he said.
“As I have said earlier, Operation Sindoor is not over yet. India is fully prepared to take all kinds of action against terrorism,” asserted the DM.
He said Pakistan wants to weaken India from within, but it should never forget that just like Major Somnath Sharma, Brigadier Usman too sacrificed his life for the unity and integrity of the country.
“When the nation is celebrating International Day of Yoga, it should remember the true meaning of the practice, which is to connect every section of society with the culture and soul of India. If even one section is left behind, the wheel of unity and security is broken. Therefore, today, we should perform yoga at the level of society & thought and not just body,” he added.
The DM appreciated the inclination of armed forces personnel towards Yoga which has a direct impact on their discipline and focus.
He encouraged the soldiers to continue practising it (yoga) daily. The yoga event was attended by Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command Lt Gen Pratik Sharma.