
Pokhran resident shrugs off drone incursions from Pakistan—‘we're from land where nuclear tests happened'
Pokharan, according to Om Prakash, was never targeted before, be it in the wars in 1965 or 1971. 'Even in the 1971 war, Pakistan did not attack Pokhran, which is also not very far from the India-Pakistan border. We heard it from our elders. But this time, they attacked us with a swarm of drones, and we clearly saw the Indian air defence system destroy them in the air,' said the owner of a shop in Pokhran market.
It later emerged that Pakistan had sent a swarm of drones but those were knocked out of the skies by the Indian armed forces. The debris of damaged drones was seized by the Army personnel.
Pokhran: At about 8.30 p.m. on Friday night, Om Prakash, a resident of Jaisalmer's Pokhran town, heard loud explosions and saw streaks of light in the air from his pitch-dark house. The town was enveloped in darkness as a blackout was in place.
The town is little over 200 km away from the India-Pakistan border. In 1971, the western sector had seen one major operation by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in which six Hunter aircraft destroyed over 30 Pakistani tanks in the Battle of Longewala.
Pokhran was put on high alert amid India-Pakistan tension following India's Operation Sindoor launched in the aftermath of the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack. Blackout was enforced from 8 May to 11 May. All the shops were shut by 5 p.m. in this period.
'We are from the soil where nuclear tests happened. There is nothing to worry about Pakistan's drone attack. But this is new warfare, completely different,' Prakash said.
Local residents like Om Prakash and Rawal Ram Parihar, a shop owner selling automobile spare parts, are proud to remind outsiders about Pokhran's link to India's security: it was in the sandy desert of Pokhran that India had carried out nuclear tests twice, first in May 1974 and then in May 1998.
'In the gap of two days, India conducted two nuclear tests in 1998. No one from the villages were allowed to go close to the test region. The area was completely cordoned off and under army surveillance,' said Parihar, in his seventies, recalled.
Villagers, he said, got to know about the tests only when they heard explosions. 'There were very big explosions; the ground shook.'
Also Read: India-Pakistan ceasefire: Fragile calm follows drone sightings, explosions in J&K, Punjab and Gujarat
Khetolai's tryst with nuclear tests
At a distance of 28 km from Pokhran, Khetolai village is situated on National Highway 11. What sets it apart is that Khetolai is the village closest to India's nuclear testing site. The absence of undergound water even at a depth of 2,000 metre in Khetolai turned out to be a boon in disguise as it meant no possible danger of radiation after nuclear tests.
Residents here are mostly from the Bishnoi community. Old-timers distinctly remember both the nuclear tests. In 1974, India carried out nuclear tests under the leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The operation was codenamed Smiling Buddha. Twenty four years on, Operation Shakti saw India carry out five nuclear tests. This time, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was leading the country.
'In 1974, the tremor was minor but on 11 May 1998, the tremors were significant,' said Mana Ram, a Khetolai resident.
Ram said before the nuclear tests, the preparation started around the 1960s when land was acquired by the government. 'None of us had the inkling that our village will be the focal point of India's nuclear tests. We all are proud as this was in national interest.'
'The land was acquired at very low cost. We have not received proper compensation and no development has reached our village,' Ram asserted. 'Pokhran is 28 km away from here, but everyone knows Pokhran for nuclear tests. The government does not pay attention to us. Pokhran has overshadowed the identity of Khetolai.'
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: Electricity meters covered, deserted streets, Jaisalmer plunged in darkness after drones intercepted
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Print
34 minutes ago
- The Print
16 Indians still missing after joining Russian army, families to travel to Moscow for answers
Around 126 Indians joined the Russian Army to fight the war in Ukraine between the end of 2023 and early 2024. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), 96 of them have returned to India, while 12 were killed on the frontlines. Russian authorities have been unable to ascertain the location of 16 Indians for over a year. In February, the government informed the Lok Sabha that 18 Indians were in Russia, of which 16 are missing. Of the remaining two, Jain T.K from Kerala, who was injured on the frontlines, returned in April. The other Indian has acquired Russian citizenship, said a person familiar with the matter. New Delhi: At least 16 Indians remain missing in Russia for over a year, after being forced to join the military there last year. Some of the family members of those missing are set to travel to Moscow later this month to further inquire about the case. The issue of Indians in the Russian armed forces has been raised at the highest levels, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting Russian President Vladimir V. Putin twice in 2024—at the annual India-Russia Summit in July and on the margins of the BRICS Summit at Kazan in October. Now, four family members of at least 14 of the missing Indians are set to travel to Moscow at the end of June for a month. They will be working with a local foundation and meet with Russian authorities to find out more about the status of the missing Indians. 'Four of us will be travelling to Moscow, along with the power of attorney for 10 of the other families. For the one and a half years, all we have been told is that our family members remain missing,' Jagdeep Kumar, one of the family members set to travel, told ThePrint. His brother Mandeep Kumar from Phillaur in Punjab was promised a visa to Italy before he departed India in December 2023. The family paid Rs 31.40 lakh to an agent for Mandeep's travel to Italy. However, rather than Italy, Mandeep landed up in Moscow and was signed up by the Russian Army. The family last spoke to him on 3 March, 2024. 'He was given 15 days of training to become a sniper in the Russian Army, before being sent to the frontlines. Mandeep has a handicap, which does not allow him to run, but he was sent to the frontlines,' Jagdeep told ThePrint. Also Read: 3 Indians missing after travelling to Iran, embassy 'strongly takes up matter' with Tehran From UP, Punjab to J&K & Maharashtra Families of at least 14 Indians held a protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar in the last week of May. Nine of them are from Uttar Pradesh, with the majority from Azamgarh district. Three are from Punjab, while one each is from Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra. One of the missing from Punjab, according to a list curated by the families and seen by ThePrint, is Tejpal Singh, from Amritsar. Singh's family also last spoke with him on 3 March last year, before he was taken to Tokmak city, in the Ukrainian province of Zaporizhzhia. Russia has sought to annex Zaporizhzhia, along with the provinces of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Crimea since the current phase of open warfare began a little over three years ago. Mandeep, on the other hand, was sent to Donetsk, after which his family lost all connection with him. The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed last month that Arvind Kumar from Azamgarh district, one of the missing Indians, signed a contract on 17 January, 2024 to join the military in the Leningrad region. However, the military selection point for Leningrad region denied that other Indians, including Mandeep, signed contracts in the region for military service. New Delhi has pushed Moscow to ensure that no other Indians are allowed to join the Russian armed forces. The number of Indians signing up to the Russian military has since been curbed. There have been no new cases of Indians intimating either the Embassy in Moscow or the MEA of their service in the Russian armed forces. The Russia-Ukraine war has been ongoing since February 2022. In recent weeks, it has intensified, especially after Kyiv was able to destroy Russian strategic bombers through Operation Spiderweb. On Sunday, Russia is reported to have launched nearly 500 loitering munitions and missiles at Western Ukraine, in one of its largest such aerial attacks till date. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: Another Indian recruit in Russian army dies on warfront, some yet to be released


New Indian Express
34 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Supriya Sule sidesteps question on buzz over NCP factions reuniting
The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar, split in July 2023 after nephew Ajit Pawar joined the then Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government. The party name and its clock symbol was given to the Ajit Pawar faction, while the one headed by the former Union agriculture minister was christened NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). There has been speculation that the two factions could be looking at burying the hatchet and reuniting. To a query on a section of the NCP (SP) having the same feeling and Sharad Pawar saying all decisions regarding the party will be taken by her, Sule said, "I have had no time to discuss the party affairs with party leaders or meet my family for the last 15 days." Everyone has the right to express their views and opinions in a democracy, she added. "NCP is an organisation founded by Sharad Pawar and is functional for 26 years. Everyone, whether they are with us or not, has contributed to the growth of the party. There was team work. I am remembering R R Patil, who is no more," she said. Sule recently led a multi-party delegation and travelled to some of the foreign countries to convey India's stand following Operation Sindoor, The parliamentarian said she will be leaving in the afternoon for New Delhi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet members of multi-party delegations which travelled abroad.


Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Sule sidesteps question on buzz over NCP factions reuniting
Pune: NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule on Tuesday avoided a direct response on the speculation about the rival NCP factions coming together, saying she was busy with other responsibilities and had no time to discuss the party affairs. Asked if she is remembering "dada" -- her cousin and rival NCP head Ajit Pawar -- on the Nationalist Congress Party 's 26th foundation day on Tuesday, the Lok Sabha member told reporters that she has six brothers and she remembers them every day. To a query on whether she will call Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to wish him on the party's foundation day, Sule said, "I speak to all my brothers on different occasions." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hoa Phu: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar , split in July 2023 after nephew Ajit Pawar joined the then Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government. The party name and its clock symbol was given to the Ajit Pawar faction, while the one headed by the former Union agriculture minister was christened NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). Live Events There has been speculation that the two factions could be looking at burying the hatchet and reuniting. To a query on a section of the NCP (SP) having the same feeling and Sharad Pawar saying all decisions regarding the party will be taken by her, Sule said, "I have had no time to discuss the party affairs with party leaders or meet my family for the last 15 days." Everyone has the right to express their views and opinions in a democracy, she added. "NCP is an organisation founded by Sharad Pawar and is functional for 26 years. Everyone, whether they are with us or not, has contributed to the growth of the party. There was team work. I am remembering R R Patil, who is no more," she said. Sule recently led a multi-party delegation and travelled to some of the foreign countries to convey India's stand following Operation Sindoor , The parliamentarian said she will be leaving in the afternoon for New Delhi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet members of multi-party delegations which travelled abroad.