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BHOPAL: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said ‘sindoor’ has become a symbol of valour following India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack, and warned Pakistan that bullets will be answered with cannon balls.
He also described Operation Sindoor as the biggest and most successful anti-terror operation in the country’s history.
“Sindoor has now become a symbol of valour in the country…If you fire bullets, then rest assured that they will be answered with cannon balls,” Modi said at the Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai Mahila Sashaktikaran Maha Sammelan here on the occasion of the legendary queen’s 300th birth anniversary.
“India is a country of culture and traditions, and sindoor is a symbol of women power in our tradition. Hanuman ji, who is immersed in Ram Bhakti, also sports sindoor. We offer sindoor in Shakti Puja. This sindoor has become a symbol of bravery,” he said.
Earlier this month, Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base Muridke. The military strikes were carried out under Operation Sindoor two weeks after the massacre of 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
Sindoor or the vermillion mark symbolises the marital status of Hindu women, and its use as the operation’s name resonated powerfully in light of the April 22 Pahalgam massacre. In the brutal attack, terrorists targeted and killed men – including newlyweds – after verifying their religious identity.
“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.
Referring to Lt Cdr Roopa A of the Indian Navy and her partner Lt Cdr Dilna K, who returned to Goa after successfully circumnavigating the globe in a sailing boat, the PM said two brave daughters of the Navy have completed a sea voyage of about 250 days.
“They circumnavigated the earth by travelling thousands of kilometres in a boat that runs not on a motor but on wind. Imagine staying at sea for 250 days,” he said.
He also said that Ahilyabai Holkar was guardian of India’s heritage and protected the country’s temples and pilgrimage sites when they were being attacked.
“Our government is working on the mantra of ‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’ (citizen is god), which was the philosophy of Ahilyabai Holkar,” he added.
Holkar, the revered queen of the Holkar dynasty in 18th-century Malwa, is remembered for her exceptional governance, commitment to social welfare, and contributions towards culture and spirituality.
Earlier, Modi released a commemorative stamp and Rs 300 coin to mark her 300th birth anniversary. PTI
