Shivang Satya Gupta
In the early hours of Thursday, a flight carrying 110 Indian students evacuated from war-ravaged Iran touched down in New Delhi—an emotional moment not only for the students and their families, but for every Indian. These included 94 from Jammu and Kashmir, who are being ferried to the Union Territory in deluxe buses.
These 110 students were the first returnees under Operation Sindhu, launched by the Government of India to ensure the safe repatriation of its citizens from Iran, which has been caught in the deadly spiral of a widening conflict with Israel.
Coming just hours before the announcement of a parallel evacuation plan for Indian nationals in Israel in view of the unfolding security situation in that country over the ongoing conflict with Iran, Operation Sindhu is the latest example of a clear, consistent priority under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership: the safety and security of Indian citizens across the globe.
India’s swift response to the deteriorating situation in Iran and Israel is not a one-off act of urgency, but part of a new national doctrine—one where the Indian government acts decisively, with both compassion and clarity, to protect its people wherever they may be. This is a significant departure from a past where global evacuations were seen as exceptional occurrences. Today, they are expected—and rightly so—from a government that has made citizen welfare its cornerstone.
We saw this ethos during Operation Ganga in 2022, when over 22,000 Indian students and nationals were successfully evacuated from Ukraine amid a raging war with Russia. Despite logistical and geopolitical challenges, India was among the very few nations that managed such a large-scale operation with minimal delays and maximum safety. Similar evacuations from Afghanistan, Sudan, and now Iran and Israel, demonstrate that this government has institutionalised what was once seen as ad hoc crisis diplomacy.
What sets Operation Sindhu apart is not just the speed of execution, but the meticulous coordination behind it. As reports indicate, Indian students—many of them in medical colleges across Iranian cities—were not only identified and located quickly, but were guided to safer territories such as Armenia and Turkmenistan with the help of India’s embassies in Tehran and Yerevan. Flights were arranged with urgency, and continuous helplines were activated in both Iran and Delhi.
Importantly, Indian officials on the ground worked hand-in-hand with local governments. The smooth cooperation with Armenia and Turkmenistan underscores New Delhi’s growing diplomatic capital. These are not the actions of a reactive administration, but of a proactive and prepared global player.
Students who returned have spoken of neighbourhoods bombed, missiles overhead, and a terrifying collapse of normalcy. In that moment of chaos, it wasn’t just the evacuation that mattered—it was the assurance that India cared. As one student from Kashmir put it, “When the Indian government came to our doorstep, it felt like home.”
The timing of Operation Sindhu also bears deeper significance. Days after 26 Indian pilgrims were killed in a heinous terror attack in Pahalgam, the Indian Army launched a parallel Operation Sindoor to strike terrorist infrastructure across the border in Pakistan. This duality—where India responds with strength at home and compassion abroad—is emblematic of the New Bharat that Prime Minister Modi has envisioned.
It is a Bharat that strikes back at those who harm its citizens and spares no effort in safeguarding them—be it in Jammu and Kashmir or in distant geographies like Iran and Israel.
Families reunited at Delhi airport have thanked the Indian government with teary eyes and grateful words. But perhaps the greater testimony is the silent trust that millions of Indians now place in their government—that in times of danger, they will not be forgotten.
No longer do Indian citizens abroad have to rely solely on foreign governments or fate. They have a country behind them that mobilises aircraft, diplomats, and every lever of power to bring them back. In a multipolar, conflict-prone world, that trust is both rare and invaluable.
Operation Sindhu reflects not just logistical competence but a profound shift in how India sees its role in the world. It is not merely a regional power—it is a nation that protects its people globally and projects its strength responsibly. From Operation Ganga in Ukraine to Operation Sindhu in Iran and Israel, Prime Minister Modi’s government has redefined citizen-centric governance beyond borders.
This is a New Bharat that cares, acts, and leads.
