Sindoor has become symbol of valour, says PM Modi; warns bullets will be answered with cannon balls
BHOPAL: Maintaining that Operation Sindoor has made it bluntly clear that the proxy war by Pakistan through terrorism will no longer be allowed to continue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday declared, “The entire nation’s firm resolve is that every bullet will be responded with a bomb.”
“Operation Sindoor is Indian history’s biggest and most successful anti-terror operation. Our forces destroyed targets hundreds of kilometres into enemy territory, something that Pakistan had never even imagined. Operation Sindoor has made it bluntly clear that proxy war against India via terrorism will no longer continue. We will hit them in their homes, and those aiding the terrorists will have to pay a heavy price,” Modi said while addressing the first all-women gathering in Bhopal.
Amid the fluttering of national flags at the mega women empowerment meet, marking the 300th birth anniversary of the legendary 18th-century queen of the Malwa kingdom, Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, the PM said, “It’s the first resolve of 140 crore Indians, if you fire bullets, then each bullet will be responded with a bomb by us.”
“Sindoor (vermillion) is integral to Indian culture. It symbolises women power; it has been worn by Lord Hanuman while being coloured with devotion to Lord Ram. Sindoor is also offered during Shakti Puja. But now, Sindoor has become the symbol of India’s bravery."
"The Pahalgam attack was also an attack on our rich culture and aimed to divide our society. It also challenged our women power, which ultimately scripted the death and destruction of terrorists and their masters hundreds of kilometres into enemy territory.”
While underscoring that Operation Sindoor has also emerged as a symbol of the strength of India’s women power, the PM highlighted the role of women officers in the armed forces and female soldiers of the Border Security Force (BSF) in the successful operation.
"In Pahalgam, terrorists not only shed the blood of Indians, but also attacked our culture. They tried to divide our society and the biggest thing is that the terrorists have challenged the women power of India," Modi said.
"This challenge has become the death knell for the terrorists and their handlers. Operation Sindoor is the biggest and most successful operation in the history of India against terrorists. While the Pakistan army could not even imagine, our army destroyed the terrorist hideouts," he added.
"This time, 75 women have become members of Parliament. Our effort is to increase this number. This is the spirit behind the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. Women reservation in Parliament and state assemblies has been achieved now, which had remained pending for a long time," he said.
Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, also known as the Women's Reservation Bill, is a landmark legislation that aims to reserve one-third of the total seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
"This means that the BJP government is empowering our sisters and daughters at every level and in every field," he said.
The prime minister also said the world is witnessing the capability of India's daughters in national defence today.
"Even for this, the government took many steps in the last decade. From school to the battlefield, the country today has unprecedented faith in the bravery of its daughters," he said.“Our daughters in the BSF were at the forefront of duty across the international border, spanning from Jammu to Punjab and from Rajasthan to Gujarat. They gave a slamming retort to firing on the border, destroying enemy posts. From the Command Control Centre to the forward posts, our BSF daughters played a wonderful role. The entire world is watching the strength of India’s daughters in protecting their country.”
Narrating the initiatives taken by his successive governments in promoting girl-women power from school grounds to battlefields, Modi said, “It was for the first time during our government that the Sainik Schools opened their gates for girl students. Before 2014, there were just 25 per cent NCC girl cadets; that number is now headed towards 50 per cent."
"History was created on Friday, when the first batch of women cadets passed out from the National Defence Academy. Now our daughters are being deployed at the forefront of all three wings of the armed forces. Right from fighter planes to the aircraft carrier warship INS Vikrant, our daughters are showing their bravery on every front.”
“Be it anti-Naxal operations or cross-border operations, our daughters are now the integral shield of the nation's security,” Modi said amid a large crowd of women dressed in Sindoori (vermillion-coloured) sarees at Bhopal’s Jamboree Maidan.
The PM also spoke at length about the unparalleled contribution of 18th-century Malwa kingdom’s legendary queen Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai Holkar in various spheres of life. “Nagarik Devo Bhava (people are like god), which was the guiding principle of Devi Ahilyabai’s life, is the guiding mantra of our government.”
While listing the countless initiatives taken by Devi Ahilyabai for public good, the PM particularly highlighted her efforts for women empowerment. “People in western countries who criticise us over women’s rights in India are ignorant of the fact that Devi Ahilyabai, during her reign, created a separate wing of women force in her army and also tasked women in villages with female security.”
Marking the 300th birth anniversary of the legendary queen of the Holkar dynasty, Modi unveiled a host of development works, including virtually inaugurating the first commercial run of the metro railway in Indore.
He also inaugurated two new airports in Madhya Pradesh, including Satna and Datia. The two new airports are likely to further boost religious tourism in Maa Sharda Temple (Maihar) and Mata Pitambara Temple (Datia).
As part of the 300th birth anniversary celebrations, the PM also released a commemorative postal stamp and a Rs 300 commemorative coin as a tribute to Devi Ahilyabai Holkar.