Real tribute, justice to those killed in Pahalgam attack, say families of victims
Pune: Family members of the victims killed in last month's terror attack in Pahalgam have welcomed India's recent cross-border strikes in Pakistan, calling it a strong and timely response. Asavari Jagdale, daughter of Santosh Jagdale, who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, speaks to the media on the success of Operation Sindoor in Pune on Wednesday. Family members of victims killed in the attack have welcomed India's recent cross-border strikes in Pakistan, calling it a strong and timely response. (ANI)
For the families, Operation Sindoor symbolises more than just a military retaliation — it reflects India's commitment to delivering justice for those who lost their lives in the attack.
Asavari Jagdale, whose father Santosh Jagdale was among the victims from Pune, said the naming of the operation moved her to tears. 'I couldn't stop crying when I heard the name 'Sindoor'. It feels like a real tribute to those who were taken from us. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has avenged their deaths, and the name of the operation itself speaks volumes. It felt like a message to those who erased the 'sindoor' of so many women,' she said.
Hindu women put 'sindoor' (vermilion) on their head as symbol of marriage.
Asavari said the loss of husbands and fathers was not left in vain. 'India has paid actual homage to them (victims) by striking. I want to thank for the justice served within 15 days,' she said.
Kunal Ganbote, whose father Kaustubh Ganbote was also killed, said the strike offered a sense of closure. 'We were all waiting for this kind of response, and we trusted the Indian government to act. Naming the operation Sindoor shows respect to women like my mother,' he said.
Kaustubh's wife, Sangita said, 'The action taken by the military is good, and by naming it as Operation Sindoor, they have respected the women. I still cry on some days. We were waiting for PM Modi to take such action, and he has given them a befitting reply. Terrorists should be eliminated.'
Kaustubh, a well-known farsan (snacks) trader with businesses in Kondhwa and Rasta Peth areas of Pune, was one of six tourists from Maharashtra who died in the April 22 attack, which claimed 26 lives — the most severe such incident since Pulwama in 2019. Two of the six tourists were from Pune.
Operation Sindoor, carried out on Wednesday, marked India's deepest strike inside Pakistan's territory since the 1971 war. Sources said Modi closely monitored the situation overnight, with all nine intended targets successfully hit.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
14 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Pakistan is in the grip of military-terror nexus: Ravi Shankar Prasad
NEW DELHI: A delegation of lawmakers and former diplomats that visited six European countries to gather support for India's efforts to fight terrorism, told the foreign interlocutors that Pakistan's military did not reciprocate India's initiatives and that the military-terror nexus was the main hurdle to peace, former minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Prasad, who led a nine-member delegation that travelled to France, Italy, Denmark, the UK, Belgium and Germany from May 25 to June 7, said the delegation spoke about the historical perspective of how the two nations were born on the same day after Partition but while Pakistan was 'going around with a begging bowl', India was the fourth largest economy. 'We fought four conventional wars, and we were never the aggressors… And treaties were signed but it is the (Pakistan) army that is responsible for tensions between the two countries,' he said. The delegation was one of the seven that were sent to different countries as part of India's diplomatic outreach after New Delhi carried out retaliatory strikes on May 7 across 9 terror camps in territory controlled by Pakistan for the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people. 'Pakistan is not only a state in denial, but it is in the grip of a deadly combination of military-terrorist nexus. Army generals have been in power for many years, from General Zia ul Haq to Asim Munir. And the generals use these terrorists as proxies to make themselves relevant. That is why there is no peace,' he said. During their interactions abroad, he said the delegation put forth the efforts made by India to establish peaceful bilateral ties, and how these were rebuffed by the neighbouring country. 'No matter which government has been in power, they all have tried to have good relations. PM Narendra Modi invited Nawaz Sharief to his swearing-in ceremony (in 2014), he attended the wedding of his grandson (granddaughter), yet Uri and Pulwama attacks happened,' he said. He was referring to the attack on an Indian army brigade headquarters in Uri, carried out in 2016 by Pakistan trained terrorists and the attack on soldiers in Pulwama in Kashmir in 2019. Asked if the delegation was questioned about the evidence available with India against Pakistan, Prasad said, 'We had enough evidence and our initial comments about the terror attacks would dispel their misconceptions. When they did ask for operation details, we told them that such information cannot be revealed.' To highlight the misuse of international funds by Pakistan, the delegation saidthe last loan that India secured from the IMF was in 1991, but Pakistan continues to borrow and use the funds for weapons. 'It has borrowed 25 times and uses it to buy weapons, and China supplies 80% of these,' Prasad said. To a question on whether India's position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict came up for discussion, Prasad said, 'We were asked about Ukraine and we told them that we have very old relations with Russians. But the PM (Narendra Modi) was clear in telling President Putin that this is not the age of war… and this was televised… Our Prime Minister also said that coming from the land of Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi does not mean that we need to tolerate terrorism.'
Hans India
21 minutes ago
- Hans India
Went for the country and spoke for the country: Tharoor on Op Sindoor outreach
New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who led a nine-member Indian delegation including MPs from different political parties as part of Operation Sindoor outreach to five countries, including the US and Brazil, on Tuesday said that the tour was hugely successful. "I went for the country and spoke for the country," said Tharoor while interacting with the Malayalam media here on Tuesday in response to a question about his party's outlook on the venture. Apart from Tharoor, the team included Sarfaraz Ahmad, Ganti Harish Madhur, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Tejasvi Surya, and former Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and it also visited Panama, Guyana, and Colombia. "The whole purpose of the visit was to interact with think tanks, Presidents, Vice Presidents, parliamentarians and also former top political leaders and to brief them on what had happened,' said Tharoor. About his American visit, he said nothing about trade issues or about who 'intervened' to stop the aggression was raised during their interactions, in a reference to President Donald Trump's statements. "After explaining the Indian position, all have understood things, as Pakistan had presented a weak case, as terrorists had attacked tourists," he added. Asked about what he intends to do following the visit, he said: "I am going to submit a detailed report to the Prime Minister, and it will be my report." "The trip was very hectic as we were travelling at night and hardly got time to sleep," Tharoor added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had selected Tharoor to be part of the delegation and lead it, after it was found out that the Congress party's list did not have the name of Tharoor. Ever since Tharoor decided to contest against the official party high command's nominee, Malikarjuna Kharge, for the post of Congress president, a majority in the Congress leadership was unhappy with him, but knowing his popularity, he managed to get support from a section of the party in Kerala. Tharoor is a four-time Congress MP from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency since 2009.
Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India's policy of zero tolerance against terror is unshakable: Minister Rai
India has shown the world through Operation Sindoor that anyone who dares raise their eyes towards it will not be capable of seeing again, Minister of State (Home) Nityanand Rai said Tuesday. He was speaking at the 23rd edition of NSG's Counter-Terror International Seminar at Manekshaw Centre. 'The entire country has realised that in the fight against terrorism the Modi government has not shown any lack of political will or resources. This is new India and our policy of zero tolerance against terrorism is unshakable. There will be challenges, but the nation's security and dignity will remain top priority. We have shown and taught the world that anyone who dares raise their eyes towards India, will not be capable of seeing again,' Rai said. He said cowardly acts such as the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack do not weaken India, rather only strengthen its resolve. 'Through Operation Sindoor India has made it clear that it will answer any terror attack on its soil with courage and determination and will also achieve success. The international community has now seen India's determination. We have always been votaries of peace and dialogue. But if anyone provokes us and threatens our sovereignty we will not only defend ourselves but also defeat the ill intentions of the enemy,' he said. The NSG's two-day flagship event, under the theme 'Forging Collaboration and Innovation to Counter Terror Threats and Address the Complexities of Modern Terrorism', aims to foster inter-agency coordination, operational synergy, and strategic integration in Counter-Terrorism (CT) and Counter-IED operations. Initiating the seminar, NSG DG Brighu Srinivasan detailed NSG's continuing role in counter-terror efforts and the role its personnel played in defending the Jammu airport during Operation Sindoor. 'During Operation Sindoor, our personnel played a special role in neutralising a drone with explosive payload near Jammu airport. Last month, along with state police and the RPF, counter-terror exercise was organised in the railways in Jammu. In future, train intervention exercises will be increased,' he said. According to the NSG chief, a security audit of inland water tourist liners in India was conducted by the force recently and anti-hijack exercises were carried out on cruise liners running on the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers. Delegations from over 17 foreign countries including the US, Russia, Japan, Israel, Germany, and Indonesia are participating, along with senior officers from state police forces, CAPFs, the Army and intelligence agencies.
