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Time of India

State salutes its two sons in uniform after ‘Op Sindoor'

1 2 3 4 Patna: As the sun set over the fields of Narayanpur in Saran and Junni Kalan in Purnia, the two villages in Bihar stood united in pride and grief – one mourning the loss of a brave son, the other celebrating the leadership of another. From Saran to Purnia, " Operation Sindoor " has stirred a wave of emotion as the state salutes two of its own who stood at the frontline of India's response to those honoured is BSF sub-inspector Mohammad Imtiyaz , martyred during the operation. He was a resident of Narayanpur village in Saran district. Another son of Bihar, Air Marshal Awadesh Kumar Bharti , director general of air operations (DGAO), played a key role in the mission and hails from Junni Kalan village in Purnia district. He briefed the media on the operation's results following the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 innocent tourists were brutally killed on April 22. The Indian armed forces responded with precision airstrikes in the early hours of May 7, targeting nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).Air Marshal Bharti, an alumnus of Sainik School, Tilaiya, continues a proud tradition. Coincidentally, Air Marshal Amit Dev, who served as DGAO during the Balakot airstrikes on Feb 26, 2019, also has roots in Bihar. Dev completed his schooling at St Xavier's and St Michael's High School in Patna and was decorated with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Marshal Bharti's family still resides in Junni Kalan. "His brother, Dr R K Bharti, is a practising doctor in Purnia town. His father, Jeevach Lal Yadav, is retired and lives there with the other family members," said Kundan Krishnan Mohan, mukhiya of Jhunni Kalan panchayat. "He has his ancestral home in ward number 10. Air Marshal Bharti visited the village about two years ago. His mother, Urmila Devi, frequently visits her village home," he added.