New Delhi, Oct 07: In a stirring address at Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Droupadi Murmu hailed India’s armed forces on Tuesday for their seamless display of unity and sharp strategic acumen during Operation Sindoor, a lightning-fast retaliation to the brutal Pahalgam terror attack.
Launched on May 7, the operation zeroed in on terror hideouts in Pakistan-occupied territories, sparking four days of fierce cross- Line of Control (LoC) skirmishes that wrapped up with a ceasefire pact on May 10.
The result? A major blow to enemy terror networks, with key infrastructure reduced to rubble.
Speaking to the 65th National Defence College cohort, Murmu emphasized the need for agile tactics amid shifting global threats and security landscapes.
She spotlighted India’s ongoing push to evolve its military into a high-tech powerhouse, primed for seamless, multi-domain warfare that blends air, land, sea, and cyber prowess.
“In today’s volatile world, our forces are not just responding they’re redefining readiness,” she affirmed.
India is engaged in transforming the armed forces into a technologically advanced combat-ready force capable of multi-domain integrated operations, she said.
“Our armed forces demonstrated the strength of jointness and strategic foresight during Operation Sindoor. The calibrated, tri-service response resulted in effective synergy.
“This synergy was behind the successful campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the line-of-control and deeper inside the territories across the border,” Murmu said, and expressed effusive appreciation for the leadership of the armed forces.
The president said that the process of promoting jointness started with the creation of the Department of Military Affairs with the Chief of Defence Staff as its secretary.
“I am happy to note that efforts are underway to restructure forces through the establishment of Integrated Theatre Commands and Integrated Battle Groups,” she said.
Murmu said universal values are at the core of defining our national interests and the Indian tradition has always looked at the entire humanity as one family.
“This rich sentiment of the entire world being one family is expressed in our ancient saying ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’. Universal brotherhood and peace have been our articles of faith. But we have also given importance to being battle-ready to defeat the forces that are harmful to humanity and our nation,” she said.
Citing the ‘Mahabharata’, the epic on the great war which is said to have been fought centuries ago, the president said it find expressions of the values we cherish.
“Every attempt was made to avoid the war and arrive at an amicable solution. Efforts for peace were led by Krishna, the principal character, who is regarded by us as a divine entity. When the war became unavoidable, Krishna told Arjuna, one of the most important warriors, to get rid of all doubts and fight bravely. Thus, the holistic Indian approach to war and peace, gives the highest importance to the values of peace and non-violence,” she said.
But it also strongly inspires to fight with utmost resolve when a battle becomes unavoidable, Murmu added.
“An interesting physical reflection of the holistic Indian value-system can be seen in the premises of ‘Gandhi Smriti’ and the ‘National Defence College’ facing each other, more out of co-incidence than design. It is as if nature placed the two institutions close together to remind us of our integrated values,” the president said.
