India on Wednesday launched Operation Sindoor, targeting multiple terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in a measured, proportionate, and non-escalatory manner.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching To The Point. I'm Preeti Chaudhary. India delivered retribution last night. Operation Sindhu struck with precision, but with it also empathy was delivered to many of the women who've been wanting justice, wanting revenge. We're going to get our viewers the latest on that and the latest news that's coming in. First, allow me to take you through the headlines.
00:30India avenges Pahelgaan terror attack. India hits Pakistan terror targets, kill 80 to 90 terrorists, images of destroyed Jaish and Lashkar terror camps and in POK.
00:43India targets Lashkar headquarters in Muridke and Jaish-e terror headquarters in Bahawalpur. Jaish chief Masood Azhar loses 10 family members in this strike.
00:53Real-time images of Operation Sindhu. Videos show how India fired missiles on Pakistan terror hubs. Indian missiles rained on terror camps for 25 minutes.
01:09Prime Minister Modi chose the name of Operation Sindhu. Operation Sindhu named to avenge Pahelgaan widows. Prime Minister Modi's message will avenge widowed women.
01:28Prime Minister Lord's Operation Sindhu in Union Cabinet meeting calls it a proud moment. Prime Minister Modi meets President Murmu at Rastrupati Bhavan.
01:37Prime Minister Modi is a proud moment.
02:07All right, let me quickly take you across to the latest news break that is filtering in right now, viewers.
02:24We've been given to understand that after India's strike on Pakistan, word coming in from government sources,
02:31Indian Army did not suffer any losses.
02:34Government sources suggest India will respond if Pakistan retaliates.
02:40India steps up, fight against Pakistan terror.
02:43India could strike more terror camps in days to come.
02:46India may take similar actions soon.
02:49What is it contingent on?
02:51I want to quickly cut across to senior journalist Sandeep Unathan, who is joining us with the very latest coming in.
02:57But I want to quickly take our viewers through the latest news break that is coming in right now.
03:02And that seems to suggest that if Pakistan retaliates, India will not be shy of escalating then.
03:10I want to first cut across to Himanshu Mishra.
03:12Then I want to bring in Sandeep Unathan, senior journalist in the studio with me.
03:16Himanshu, what more can you add?
03:18And the question of Pakistan is, if you are going to and are going to be unable to do that again.
03:34and that will answer that.
03:36And that will be a big answer to this.
03:40If retaliation will be back again.
03:44And the government will have to say that
03:47the information will be put on the site.
03:50And the knowledge of the information
03:54has been done in their way.
03:56The whole way of operation is done.
04:00Thank you for joining us.
04:02Thank you for joining us with that quick update.
04:05I want to cut across to Sandeep Unathan, who is joining us in the studio
04:08for a deeper understanding of what India is really looking at, Sandeep,
04:12at this point of time, because India has made it very clear in that press note
04:16that was released quickly after the strikes in Pakistan
04:18that India is not looking to escalate.
04:21This should not be seen as an escalation.
04:24It was a measured response.
04:26Where does India stand now?
04:28If Pakistan retaliates, I think India has made it very clear
04:31that's not going to be shy to respond back.
04:33Absolutely, Preeti.
04:34And in fact, if you heard Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's statement
04:38and you read between the lines of his statement,
04:40it was very clear that India made a point that the attacks were against
04:45the terrorist infrastructure.
04:47They were not against civilians.
04:49They were not against the Pakistan military.
04:51No Pakistan military targets were hit.
04:54What was struck were terrorist targets inside Pakistan.
04:57These attacks were measured, proportionate, responsive,
05:02and most importantly, non-escalatory.
05:04Non-escalatory meaning that it was now up to Pakistan to choose
05:09whether it wanted to sit quietly or then choose to escalate the situation further.
05:15And if there is an escalation, Preeti, then it is up to India to respond to that escalation
05:21with choosing more targets out of 21 out of the targets that were shown by the Indian government today.
05:27Only nine were hit.
05:29Therefore, the government is indicating that there are several other targets
05:32that could strike terrorist targets.
05:35It could strike military targets next if Pakistan chose to escalate to the next level.
05:41So it's entirely on Pakistan what it wants to do.
05:44What does the Pakistan military want to do with these attacks today?
05:47Sandeep, the ball is technically in Pakistan's court right now.
05:50India has retaliated.
05:52And you are right in that press brief which came quickly after the strikes in Pakistan.
05:56India has reiterated.
05:57And I would reckon if there are three words that we underline and double line again,
06:01that would be non-escalatory, a measured response, and civilians were not attacked,
06:05and neither were any Pakistan establishments attacked.
06:08Having said that, Sandeep, Pakistan has deemed this as an act of war.
06:14They have said that they are going to retaliate at a time of their choosing.
06:18How do you read it for someone who has studied Pakistan very closely in the conflicts earlier?
06:23Well, Preeti, it's a big blow to the Pakistan military.
06:27The attacks that unfolded Operation Sindhur is the largest series of attacks
06:31that India has conducted on Pakistani soil after 1971.
06:35That's more than half a century.
06:36That you've targeted targets across the breadth of Pakistan.
06:40The northernmost target and the southernmost target are separated by 700 kilometers almost.
06:46That's from POK, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, right down to Pakistan's Punjab province, Bahawalpur.
06:53This is the spread of targets that have been chosen.
06:56Five of these targets were in Punjab province.
06:58Again, Punjab province has never been attacked by India.
07:02But here again, they have been very careful to choose the words
07:06that they struck only terrorist infrastructure inside Punjab province.
07:09Now, Punjab province is the heartland of Pakistan.
07:12It is where 80% of the Pakistan military comes from.
07:16So, looking at the way how unpredictable the Pakistan military has been
07:20in the last couple of months under General Asim Munir,
07:23it's quite possible that they could choose the path of escalation
07:27because they have been very unpredictable under Asim Munir.
07:30Does the defense minister of Pakistan's word matter at all?
07:33Because he seems to be suggesting that if India doesn't act anymore
07:37from what it's already done, then Pakistan will not retaliate
07:40because ultimately everything there, as we've seen it in the past,
07:43is in the hands of the Pakistan army.
07:45And there were contradictory statements that were coming in,
07:48in any case, through the course of the last 8 to 10 hours,
07:51one from the army and one from the executive,
07:53which is, of course, the government.
07:55Well, two voices there, Preeti.
07:58You have the civilian government saying one thing
08:00and you have the military doing something entirely different.
08:03And we've seen this dual-faced approach during the Kargil war
08:06when the civilian government was receiving Prime Minister Vajpayee,
08:10the Lahore bus yatra,
08:11and then you had the military simultaneously planning the Kargil offensive.
08:15So, I wouldn't take this very seriously,
08:17what the defense minister says.
08:19I will look at what the Pakistan military does next.
08:23Right.
08:24And there's a sinister message in that.
08:25I appreciate you joining us, Sandeep.
08:28We're going to keep coming back to you for more.
08:30Viewers, India struck with precision
08:32where nine terror launch pads in Pakistan was concerned.
08:38This was a successful Operation Sindhoor.
08:42But, viewers, there was also a message of unity and empathy back home.
08:47And empathy delivered with utmost vengeance.
09:01In the shadow of rising tensions between India and Pakistan
09:05came a moment of strength, unity and a message.
09:09Just hours after India's Operation Sindhoor hit terror camps in Pakistan
09:15and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,
09:18two women, two warriors stood before the nation.
09:23Colonel Sophia Qureshi,
09:26Wing Commander Vyomika Singh,
09:30two women officers, two different fates.
09:33One message, loud, clear and unshakable.
09:40The unity of the nation that terror failed to break.
09:44The Nari Shakti movement that shook the enemy and inspired a nation.
09:50Colonel Qureshi, a trailblazer.
09:53In 2016, she became the first woman to lead an Indian army contingent
09:58in a multi-national military exercise.
10:01Her global experience includes six years
10:04with United Nations peacekeeping operations,
10:07notably in Congo in 2006.
10:09Operation Sindhoor, 22 April,
10:13was launched in the first time of the war.
10:16The
10:39Recruitment, indoctrination centres, training areas were launched by Shamilthi.
10:45Wing Commander Byomika Singh, a fighter in the skies, a high altitude rescue hero in Arunachal, a permanent commission in the Flying Branch.
10:57A niche technology of weapons with careful selection of warheads was ensured so that there will be no collateral damage.
11:06The point of impact in each of the targets was a specific building or a group of buildings.
11:13All the targets were neutralised with clinical efficiency and the results reiterate the professionalism of the Indian Armed Forces in the planning and execution of their operations.
11:25Together they did not just brief the nation, they became the face of new India.
11:30Operation Sindhoor sent a message across the border.
11:35But this moment sent one across the world.
11:38India stands united.
11:41Bureau Report, India Today.
11:43Thank you very much.
11:44Because Operation Sindhoor was loaded with symbolism, not just the fact that it was called Operation Sindhoor for a reason.
11:53The Prime Minister picked the word Operation Sindhoor to avenge the widows of Behelgaan.
11:59So loaded with symbolism just there, but not just that.
12:02India chose two women to front the press briefing to the world of Operation Sindhoor.
12:08The fine print, the micro details of the operation and two women from two very different faiths.
12:17One Muslim and one Hindu.
12:19Giving out a larger message, not just of empathy, where women were concerned who were involved in this attack
12:26because their husbands were taken away shortly after their marriage, but also to that of unity back home,
12:33where you had two women conduct that press briefing to the world coming in from two different faiths.
12:42Clear messaging there.
12:43I want to cut across to our guest this evening.
12:45Joining me, Dr. Tara Kartha.
12:47She is a terrorism security expert, former director, National Security Council secretariat,
12:53squadron leader, Debolina Das, defence expert, Baswanti Mukherjee, former diplomat,
13:00Githika Liddar, author and wife of late Brigadier Ellis Liddar.
13:05Squadron leader, Gini Chaudhary is with me in the studio, former transport pilot and drone operator.
13:11Captain Manjula Katoch, former army officer, is also in the studio with me in Noida.
13:18I want to come to you first, squadron leader Chaudhary.
13:21When you saw the operation unfold, you know, I think shortly after 1.45 a.m. at night,
13:28at about 3 a.m., you had the army that already issued out a statement suggesting Operation Sindur was a success.
13:38The sheer word Sindur, how did it hit home in terms of why the word Operation Sindur?
13:45And then today you had two women who headed this press briefing, coming in from two very different faiths.
13:51So even though, you know, the operation was precise, conducted with precision, delivered,
13:57but so much empathy also delivered with it and a strong message.
14:03See, Jain, everyone.
14:04Preeti, the word Sindur, it has a deep symbolic meaning in context of Indian culture.
14:12And now, it was a clear-cut message across border.
14:16So, it was a clear-cut message to them and the beauty was the way this operation was conducted
14:29using the armaments, the precision missiles which were used.
14:34Because of which, the collateral was, there was hardly any collateral.
14:37So, the reason why precision armaments, precision strike was done,
14:43so that was the beauty of this whole operation.
14:46And once I saw the operation, briefing was covered by two armed forces, women officers.
14:55I am fortunate enough to have worked with one of them,
14:59Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, with whom I was, in 2015,
15:04I was in the Republic Day Parade with her.
15:08So, it is a moment of proud for all of us.
15:12There was a sense of pride, you feel, that when you saw these both women.
15:16Why do you think, you know, Officer, Captain,
15:20that the government today chose two women to speak to the world
15:25on how Operation Sindur was conducted?
15:29Absolutely, absolutely.
15:31See, whatever happens in armed forces is just not by, you know, chance.
15:36A lot of thought has got into this.
15:39And there is a message, there is a strong message which has gone to the world
15:42that when it comes to, you know, defending our nation,
15:46we are both the male and the female of armed forces.
15:50We both work shoulder to shoulder to give a strong, befitting reply
15:55to what they had done at Pahal Gaon.
15:58And yes, choosing women officers there for the press belief
16:02and of two different faiths.
16:05What they were talking about,
16:06Hindu Puchke Golimari, Hindu Puchke Golimari,
16:08they were trying to divide us.
16:09But here in India and more so in armed forces,
16:13we are not divided.
16:14We are not getting into the trap of Hindu-Muslim.
16:17We are all one.
16:19And this unity is our strength.
16:21So there was a deeper meaning.
16:23Absolutely, deeper meaning.
16:24It was not by chance that they were from different two faiths.
16:27There was a thought put into this.
16:30And the thought and the very clear message was that
16:32we are together for our nation.
16:35And our unity is definitely our strength.
16:38And second most important thing here was,
16:41despite our might, the, you know, the armed forces might,
16:46the operation was very, very, precision was there in the operation.
16:51Precise, yes.
16:52Absolutely.
16:53And the targets that we, you know, we, the targets that we...
16:59We chose.
17:00We chose were very, very deliberate.
17:02And what you said, the empathy was there.
17:05It was not, there was no collateral damage.
17:07And morality, our morality was intact in this.
17:10And we need business because we are only against terrorism.
17:14We are not against any religion.
17:17We are not against the civilian population of any of the country.
17:20Right.
17:20We are against terrorism and we will fight against terrorism.
17:24So the message is loud and clear.
17:26Whether it's about the, this operation Sindur, the word.
17:30Right.
17:31Very Sindur.
17:32It is very, very symbolic.
17:33That means that we value the, our, you know, our values, our traditions, our women so much.
17:40So symbolic and a strong message back home.
17:43Absolutely.
17:43And a strong message to Pakistan in itself, seeming to suggest if you're not going to dismantle these terror camps,
17:49we will do it.
17:50We will do it with utmost precision.
17:52You know, before I let both you ladies go, you know, I will bring you back in squadron leader, Geetika.
17:57Why do you think, what was the thought behind choosing two women to project to the world in the first press briefing
18:04when India's practically scripted history in retaliating against terror where Pakistan is concerned?
18:10Why the, why the thought?
18:12What was the message that India was trying to send out?
18:14What the name suggests, the Operation Sindur, it was a message that what has been, what has happened during Pahlkam attack.
18:24If you remember that photograph, that video where the woman is sitting behind a dead body of his partner
18:31and they have just newly married and the emotions, the, you know, I still feel, get goosebumps
18:39when I imagine that scenario, what would have happened there.
18:43So, bringing out two women officers was also that we are continuing sending this message
18:49and we are ready for any retaliation, anything you may have.
18:53We are all set and ready.
18:55And the best part is what Indian Armed Forces has come up with is the element of surprise if you see.
19:02So, after 20 seconds, we waited, we waited.
19:06People are all busy in practicing the mock drill and civilians were charged up.
19:12So, the element of surprise was also there.
19:14Surprise was also there.
19:15Well, thank you ladies for joining us.
19:17I want to cut across right now to Geetika Liddar.
19:20Ms. Liddar, what do you make?
19:22Because I would think the best way to describe with, at least with what has happened,
19:26in terms of the messaging at the back of it, is bigger because it was empathy back home,
19:32delivered with utmost vengeance, precision.
19:37So, exactly.
19:38In fact, all has been said and enough and more has been said about the symbolism of the nomenclature
19:43of the operation, the precision with which we went in, the surprise element.
19:47There are uniformed officers on the panel, ex-uniformed officers on the panel today
19:53who have already summed it up beautifully.
19:57But as a normal Indian citizen and a soldier's wife, I can only say that we are very, very proud.
20:04I mean, we are very proud Indians today to have witnessed a historic event of this nature
20:09because it is the duty of the defense forces and the government of any country to protect its own.
20:15And the way they have done it in a very, very non-escalatory, the key word here is non-escalatory,
20:20an act of response rather than an act of terror.
20:23It's something that I'm extremely proud of, the strategy behind it, the timing,
20:27and the way that they have gone in and the tremendous restraint that they have.
20:32I mean, it is not a show of military might.
20:34It is a show of citizens' right.
20:36So, I'm very, very honoured to be here to say that I'm a very proud Indian today.
20:41And those 28 homes who have suffered in the last few days would probably get peaceful sleep today.
20:48If there is something called closure, I don't know if it is, but maybe that.
20:51But, you know, Ms. Liddar, I want to bring you back in for one more comment.
20:55And why do you think?
20:56Because it wasn't just happenstance or chance.
21:00India, you know, on purpose, deliberately put two women officers to brief not just India,
21:08but the world on Operation Sindur.
21:12And not just that they were two women, they came from two very different faiths.
21:15So, there was a larger messaging in that as well.
21:19Absolutely, because maybe the nomenclature of Sindur would probably, you know, lean towards a particular religion.
21:28But we are agnostic to any such belief and faith.
21:33And I think the messaging there coming from multi-faith women and multi, you know,
21:38so they're not two army, they're not two air force, they're not two navy.
21:42So, the fact that one is from the air force and one is from the army and different faiths and both women
21:47who hold this all-time, you know, historic, probably the most historic briefing in our lives.
21:54So, it says something about the thought process of the government and the defense forces today.
22:00You know, Dr. Karth, I want to pull you in on this because what we saw yesterday,
22:04India's night of retribution, was anyway scripting history.
22:08But when we saw the press briefing, and I would agree with Ms. Lidder where she says
22:13it's possibly one of the most historic press briefings of our lives,
22:17where you have these two women and coming in from two very different faiths
22:21to speak to the world on what India did and has taken onus responsibility for.
22:28I think it was amazingly scripted. Very, very nicely done.
22:32And I think it's not, it showed a degree of sensitivity, which, you know,
22:36generally you don't expect from a government, because the government is this faceless being
22:40who does something somewhere, there's a bureaucracy.
22:43This is done, I mean, this is, it was really quite amazing the way it has been,
22:49the whole thing has been choreographed.
22:50But the point I think I would like to make is that this is not over yet, right?
22:59So let's wait and see what happens. One hopes that other women elsewhere who are suffering
23:06on the line of control, they also have get some strength from us, that they get the message
23:12that India will stand strongly at that. I mean, that is the central message.
23:17We are strong, we are united, we will retaliate.
23:20Right. But, you know, Dr. Tara Kartha, you know, you're bang on where you say that,
23:23yes, it was loaded with positive symbolism and messaging, because usually, rarely do governments
23:28really think of these things. And that actually happened. We saw both the armed forces and the
23:33government coming in together on that, the prime minister picking the name, then the armed forces
23:37projecting two women to the world to brief them about Operation Sindhu, which is historic in any
23:44case. But Dr. Kartha, I'll ask you a larger question, because you're a defense strategic expert,
23:48and you're bang on when you say it's far from over. Why do you say that?
23:52Well, we are seeing, like you said, the kind of shouting, which is coming from across the border,
24:00especially, oddly enough, which is being propagated in the Western press.
24:05The Pakistani press is not really playing it up. But I can find the Western press is really
24:10playing up this whole thing, saying that Pakistan is going to strive back and this and that,
24:15and all the rest of it. And then, of course, there is the personal ego of General Munir,
24:19until that ego is satisfied. After all, he's put one prime minister and three left-in generals in jail.
24:26So if he loses this round, he's going to be in trouble.
24:30Fair point. I'm coming right back to you. I want to bring in Baswati Mukherjee.
24:33Baswati Mukherjee, a former diplomat. How do you view with what has taken place in the last 15 to 18
24:40hours, Ms. Mukherjee?
24:44I do believe that this is India's moment. It shows that India has arrived. It shows that
24:51it's a new and rising India, that we have, as you have very correctly put it, through our
24:58non-escalatory response, demonstrated that we are a responsible nation who only strikes back
25:06when it is essential to do so. We have done that. We have demonstrated our military power
25:13in a restrained manner. We could have gone in much further. We were not far from Rawalpindi,
25:19for that matter. We took out the targets in an exemplary manner. We did not go in for civilian
25:26casualties. We actually demonstrated how military force should be used. We demonstrated that we
25:33are a responsible nation. But more than that, the symbolism that you asked our armed forces
25:39officers, I can tell you as a professional woman diplomat and a former ambassador, that the symbolism
25:46was there for every woman in India, that the fact that so many women had their husbands shot dead,
25:56in the most cruel manner, in front of them. And one of them said, kill me too. And the terrorist said,
26:05I'm sparing you so that you can go and tell Prime Minister Modi. He was much more rude than that. I
26:11won't even say what he said. That message demonstrated that they thought we are a nation
26:18of weaklings and we're going to take this lying down. But what did we demonstrate? We demonstrated.
26:24You said, go and tell Prime Minister Modi. Fine. But Prime Minister Modi and the entire nation,
26:30which is behind it, has demonstrated that you don't make our women widows and get away with it.
26:37It's not a question of religion. I'm very happy there were two women from different faiths.
26:42I'm a Hindu and I've never wanted to do. That's not the point. The symbolic point is that they came
26:48and they made widows of our women. And we demonstrated through the two women who were there,
26:54through all the women from the armed forces that you have in your panel, and I'm so proud of all of
26:58them. We demonstrated that India, its men and its women, its armed forces, its people are together today.
27:05And if they want, and this General Munir is considered called Mullah Munir. This Mullah
27:12General Munir, he is welcome to rave and rant and do whatever he wants. He has got four days of
27:19ammunition, four days of fuel and four days of money. So we'll see what he does in the next four days and
27:25four nights. We are ready for him. If he escalates, we will decide. But when we do something,
27:32we think and we act. Unfortunately, that is not true for Pakistan's chief of army staff.
27:39You know, I want to bring in squadron leader Debulina Das as well. You know, taking off from
27:42what the former diplomat said, Ms. Das, the larger question squadron leader Das is governments
27:49usually never. And this is both. I'm not just talking about the government. I'm even talking about
27:53the armed forces because we are so deeply involved and as one should be to, you know, execute an
28:00opposition to perfection and precision that you forget the larger, softer messaging of that operation.
28:08This time around, that didn't quite happen. Just the name Operation Sindhu has touched a
28:13chord with not just some of the women who lost their husbands because we've been speaking to them.
28:18And some of them actually, you know, if this can be even an iota of a bomb has proven to be so
28:24because they feel that they were it was retribution for them. And, you know, when you speak with them,
28:31if there is something called closure, that's come full circle for them. And that's seeing an immense lot.
28:36So that was thought about Ms. Das. On the other hand, who delivered the message to women,
28:43you know, officers delivered the message coming on coming in from two different
28:46armed forces, one from the air force, one from the army. And then because there's been so much rhetoric
28:52around it where religion and communal rhetoric is concerned that to the world and back home,
28:58you gave an image and a message of unity of having both these officers of two different faiths.
29:07Yes, I would like to say that the name itself, Operation Sindhu, was to strike the right
29:13board with all the women who lost their husbands in this. Because of that, because the Sindhu was taken off
29:21from their forehead, we had to retaliate to avenge that because revenge is something that can give the
29:30ultimate bomb to such a tragedy. So that is why the name Operation Sindhu, which rightly fixed this
29:39operation to give that hand over the head of the citizens from the government that we are there for
29:48you. Anything goes wrong with you, we will take care of you. This was the first message. And the second
29:54message that two women organizing the briefing of this operation, tells us two things. One is they were
30:01from different faith. It tells us that we are united against terrorism, in spite of whatever faith we
30:09are from. And the second thing, as we all know, that since it was symbolic, now symbolic for a woman is
30:16that empathy. Nobody else is more empathetic than a woman. Again, we also believe that hell had no fear,
30:24like the wrath of a woman. So if you have to consider both of them, that at one edge, we are talking about
30:30being empathy, being sympathetic, being soft, but at the other end, you do us wrong, and you see our
30:38wrath. That is the example of being a woman. And by portraying these two women in by forgiving the
30:46briefing, I think this is what the government and the forces wanted to show that we are soft, we are
30:51empathetic. But if situation comes, we will burn you alive. And we will not have any kind of
30:58empathy in taking revenge against the Sindhu that you have taken away from us.
31:05You know, fair point. I just want to get in all of you for the next 30 seconds each. And I'll begin
31:09with you, Ms. Liddar, because it seems the language of conflict is changing, not just how India, you know,
31:15speaks militarily, strategically, but also how India addresses their its own core constituency back home,
31:24because a lot of operations Sindhu spoke, actually spoke to the people back home.
31:33You're in mute, ma'am.
31:34It reminds me of like when we say that we are a government of the people for the people and by the
31:40people. It completely, I mean, epitomizes this entire thing that this operation was for the women
31:47to avenge the women and the news and the entire briefing of it was held by the women. So that goes
31:54to say something about the strength of our forces also. And it's not just about the 11,000 women who serve
32:01as defense officers. It is also about the entire nation of women who is behind the strength of the
32:07nation. So that is, I think today we have really come out with flying colors as a nation which cares
32:14and a nation which dares. Dr. Karth, I want to bring you back in on the same, because for somebody who
32:19studied defense strategic affairs, rarely, and you know, I think it's quite unique to India itself. Rarely have
32:26we seen retribution delivered with this kind of empathy where, you know, the language of that
32:33delivery is so well thought of, where the messaging is not just deterrence with Pakistan, but somewhere
32:41down the line also proves to be a bomb on the most affected of it. I think it was superb messaging.
32:50It was normally what you see is a lot of war-mongering. You know, you say, I will get you,
32:54I'll do this, I'll do that. This was, I mean, that Sindhu, whoever thought of it, hats off to that
33:00person. That fact that we are doing this for our women. And remember, see, when you say you're an
33:06economic power, I am a power, I've got X, Y, Z, that, all that power comes together when you do
33:13something like this. When you send that message, you can't mess with us. And you're doing it in a
33:19subdued way. You're not saying that I will bleed Pakistan. You said, we've done it. We've hit the
33:25targets. We're backing off. And here are officers with us. Amazing messaging. And it's a slap in the
33:32face of Pakistan. You know, former diplomat, Ms. Mukherjee, you want to come in and weigh on this?
33:37Because for somebody who's been a diplomat herself, you would have rarely seen this. I've actually,
33:42you know, even if you look at internationally, retribution, revenge is common practice. We've seen
33:47it happen across the world between countries in conflict. But messaging, which is loaded with
33:53symbolism such as this, which actually helps, you know, like I said, put a bomb on a population
34:00which has been most affected by it is very, very unique. Absolutely. I was told that the
34:07Operation Sindhu term was selected by Prime Minister himself. If that is true, then it shows sensitivity.
34:14Our Prime Minister has demonstrated towards the women of this country and towards those who are
34:19widowed in this tragic manner. Those photographs will be permanently etched on the memories of men
34:25and women of this country. But more than that, I would agree with your panelists to say that it was
34:30done in a very sensitive manner. We did not show any Gungo spirit. We did it because we had to do it.
34:38It demonstrated the spirit of India. And if they want to escalate, as I said, we are a serious nation.
34:47We will think and then we will do what we have to do. Because somebody has spoken about revenge.
34:53So I'd like to say that yes. And it's been rightly said that revenge is a dish best eaten cold. So that
35:01means it has to be thought of and then we do what is to be done. If they escalate to tomorrow or day
35:08after, we will decide what we have to do. But definitely…
35:11Squadron Leader Deb, you want to come in on this? Final words?
35:17I would just like to say that whatever has been done through this Operation Sindhu is bang on what was
35:22required at this moment. It was done to show them that we are against terrorism. The nine sites of
35:28terrorism which is the brooding ground from where terrorism is starting in that country was annihilated.
35:36And that was not against the country. It was not against Pakistan. Maybe the message was that if you
35:40cannot take care of terrorism, we will do it for you. That was one kind of a message sent. And the
35:47message was sent through women because the wrong was done against them. And it is symbolic that if you
35:53do wrong against our women, women will come back and we will come back behind these women as a nation
35:59to avenge the wrong. I appreciate all you women for joining us. And I think we leave this particular
36:08discussion at least with one thought that if it has proven to be even some sort of a bomb and some
36:15closure, if we can call it that, for the women, the pehelgam widows who lost their husbands or to members of
36:23the family of the 26 innocent lives that were lost, then the job is done. And to do it with this amount of
36:31empathy needs to be commended.
36:33There was the latest coming in right now. Blackout mock drills are taking place across the country.
36:39We're going to get you the latest coming in once again. These were all planned mock drills that are
36:45taking place. We don't want to sound alarmist. This is not to panic anyone. This was all planned,
36:50not reactionary to what happened late last night. This has been part of the civic drills that have been
36:57taking place, civic defense drills that have been taking place through the course of the day.
37:02And now what we are witnessing is blackout drills are primarily needed to make citizens aware of what
37:10they need to do if at all we are in a position of conflict or in a place of war where Pakistan is
37:20concerned. Right now, we are close to neither of that. I want to cut across immediately to Dr. Kiran Bedi,
37:27former IPS officer and author. She's joining us live right now. Dr. Bedi,
37:32we appreciate you taking the time and joining us today. First up, Dr. Bedi, your comments on
37:38Operation Sindur, which the government delivered with precision and complete success, and more so
37:46with the kind of empathy with just not the name, but have two women officers front that press briefing
37:52coming in from two different faiths. That is the modern India. That is a progressive India.
37:59That's what is a capable India. That's what is all about strong India. And that's what is inclusive
38:06India. And that's what is a confident India. This is what India is producing evidence of that.
38:15I think it's produced evidence by the surgical strikes, this precision strike, and also due
38:22due diligence for 15 days. And then you go to a precision strike, all nine scored. And a family,
38:33if I believe so, if the information is right, the family of the leader is demolished. So he's got,
38:40He's got, he's got a, uh, uh, subac secret. He has got a pre-cretion. That's not the way we believe
38:54you call for it and you see how nature is nature justice is done law of nature
39:04so i think it's a we are not for retribution this is not in our dna but if you compel us
39:15then we proven it that we are so we have not reacted we have acted and action was our duty
39:22to do successfully and we thank all our armed forces all our and all our leadership in fact
39:29it's a day of gratitude not a day of boasting it's not a day of ego it's a day of gratitude
39:34and i think with humility that this is not what we want to do but if you force us then we will do it
39:40and we've done it and we will continue to do it because we've only done nine there are many others
39:46left the money those centers have to be also targeted similarly anytime when whenever the
39:53leadership so decides they are all on the radar now dr bedi you know in the past where every time
40:00india has taken retaliatory action against pakistan uh you know we've conducted the surgical strikes
40:05the last time these have been uh you know operations that have been delivered executed
40:11with precision there is so much that goes into it this time there was something different because
40:16not only did we execute an operation with complete precision and a successful operation at that uh
40:23where we struck nine terror spots in pakistan not just in pakistan occupied kashmir but also mainland
40:29pakistan uh province of panjab uh the headquarters of the eliti and the jaishay muhammad but what we did
40:37differently this time uh you know dr bedi and that needs to be spoken of as well is to deliver a
40:44balm uh you know the vengeance has been wrapped in empathy and a larger messaging of symbolism back home
40:51where even the name of this operation has proven to be solace uh for uh you know the pehal gaam widows
40:58uh you know operation sindoor where you've had two women front uh to the world when they debrief not
41:04india not pakistan but the entire world on what the fine print of operation sindoor was and they
41:10came from two different faiths so you also gave a larger message of unity that's exactly what i'm
41:15saying india is producing evidence of what it is saying and what india is this is what in fact the
41:22female leadership in our armed forces or in the police forces is right at the top and they're one of
41:27the finest officers we have and they are at the united nations you know united nations is always
41:32asking in peacekeeping more women contingents why because they've seen how women perform
41:38outstandingly well and how they bring peace in the war-torn places where this uh they've been
41:44disputed we've proven to the world it we have we have not proven it's evolved india has evolved india
41:50is very different from what it was even uh 15 years ago or even 10 years every day it's progressing
41:57and it's growing and it's showing and it's becoming more more equitable and also more inclusive that's
42:05what it's so and the kind of precision our armed forces have shown they've shown all these years of
42:11their capability in this these last 25 less than one or less than half an hour they showed it where
42:18they're capable of whether it was land whether it was air or whether it was a sea all three levels
42:23and also our leadership our governance how wisely statement like how restrainedly how thoughtfully
42:31how maturely they've acted not reacted dr bedi you know what do you think was the thought behind
42:41because usually what we would have seen was a press conference where we would have seen uh you know
42:47uh men belonging to or officers coming in from all three armed forces sitting in a very formal debrief
42:54that didn't quite happen uh you know we had two women officers this was clearly uh by intention by design
43:01to have uh these two women front uh the debrief of prof of operation sindoor and also make it a point that
43:08they came from two different faiths because there's a larger cloud and connotation uh where the communal
43:13rhetoric around uh this operation has also been strong pretty it's shown it they've shown that
43:20they've they thought what was happening all along they made them visible today they've made our
43:27strength visible and this is how india are growing in uh india and i think this is where they've india
43:34was arriving but it was not making them so visible as today they made them visible and also about to
43:41both the faiths because we this is how what india is all about a very tolerant and and inclusive india
43:48that's what what indian society is all about where it respects each other and allows each other in
43:55their own to exercise their own rights and uh rights and whatever they wish so i think it's india has
44:01shown this is true india today but it was the first time when they made these both these women
44:07visible i think it was a larger message that this is what india was already nurturing and it's only
44:14recently uh thanks to the honorable supreme court and our armed forces and the policies of the government
44:19that this has happened i would myself address many commanders in the in the uh mao school many
44:26commanders a large congregation of commanders in the making you will see more and more women
44:32from the combative in combative places uh right right right to the top very soon another because
44:39if they're all in the commander and other situations we've already had medical doctors
44:43as in the top of the services but these are combative where they've shown these i think
44:49it makes you it makes you it makes india proud and put it in the world of um the the female world
44:55women world that india has right at the top i'll ask you one final question dr bedi before i let you go
45:01uh would you think india with this operation has uh you know there's been so much talk over the last
45:0910 days you've been parts of so many discussions where we speak of deterrence has india delivered
45:14that deterrence that we've spoken of in the last 10 days i this is how i feel i think that's what an
45:21ordinary simple indian is feeling today you see those people who'd lost their members of the family
45:26in belga how the women have felt they felt as if they've been avenged i think when i heard them
45:34saying today we have been we feel healed and we feel avenged i think that what that is what mattered
45:41most and that's a shared feeling across the length and breadth of this country well dr bedi thank you for
45:47joining us and taking the time out uh and once again you know viewers you cannot emphasize enough
45:53on the fact that yes this operation was executed uh uh you know with precision it's a success but also
46:01the larger messaging that has been delivered it served as a bomb and to some possible closure for
46:07what they have gone through over the course of the last 15 to 20 days and that in itself is huge
46:13in terms of messaging and symbolism thank you dr bedi for taking the time out and joining us but
46:18i want to take you now viewers to operation sindoor why the name operation sindoor well it was thought
46:27of by the prime minister himself if you remember viewers at a rally right after the pehelgham terror
46:34attack the prime minister had made a promise that he will avenge the death of the husbands of the
46:40women who lost pehel who lost their husbands in pehelgham listening to the story of how the prime
46:46minister picked the name operation sindoor all right we're going to cut across to that in just a
46:55short while let's uh move on and get you the latest blackout drills that are taking place across the
47:02country right now well viewers we had seen civic defense drills this evening and now what we are
47:09witnessing our blackout drills that are taking place across india and all of this is just a mock drill
47:18not to spread panic not to be alarmist but once again uh you know to make sure that the citizens of our
47:28country are war ready we are not going to war yet but just to make sure that citizens of our country are war ready
47:37this is standard operating procedure uh the last time you heard air sirens we conducted blackout drills was in the year
47:451971 viewers 53 years ago there are generations in this country that has never seen a war like situation
47:54where these drills could come handy and uh just a standard operating procedure these mock drills have been
48:03organized across the country uh to equip citizens to protect themselves earlier this evening what we had
48:12were uh civic uh deterrence drills and now blackout drills this basically will test uh emergency
48:21infralight power backup sirens communication prepare systems to operate in uh degraded or compromised
48:28environments and could be useful if india uh is faced with an untoward situation or pakistan
48:37impacts on some misadventure so all of this is only right now uh a preparation just mock drills that are
48:46taking place across the country
48:48all right uh that's the latest that we are getting in these mock drills taking place across the country
49:01blackout drills how to prepare for blackout drills well you've got to keep torches about
49:07avoid stepping outdoors a blackout drill now taking place in luck now cutting across to my colleague samarth
49:14over to you samarth
49:22well exactly pretty the mock drill is also happening in luck now and we saw how yesterday civil defense
49:32people did the mock drill and today again they did the mock drill started around 7 p.m we saw the
49:37blackout even we are present at the police lines as you see in the visuals uh see his cm was also there
49:44and he also left from the space and if you see the visuals this was the place where the mock drill
49:48actually happened how the civil defense people uh saved the civilians the normal people out here
49:54uh in an attempt to save themselves from any panic like situation especially if any enemy country
50:01uh did the air strike then how to save yourself all these things were showed and you see in the
50:06visual cmo here that is also uh right here meeting the people meeting the civil defense people out
50:11here and that's the spot where the mock drill actually happened so we what we saw in this particular
50:17mock drill they showed the number one siren you have to save yourselves by going down covering your ears
50:22uh bend bending down with the help of your elbow and number two in the second siren you have to get up
50:28and save the people nearby because the second siren also hints that the danger is gone while the first siren
50:34hints that the missile might be coming from the enemy nation so you have to be elected that are the basic
50:40things which each and every citizen has to understand and that's what uh is happening in the state of
50:45uttapradesh as well we saw the blackout in lucknow we saw the mock drill in lucknow and now the same a thing is
50:51happening in the various districts uh yesterday it was the rehearsal and by tomorrow we can expect
50:56it was there producer is saying schools colleges go on
51:13uh well exactly pretty as i was telling you about the mock drill thing this is the see the visuals out
51:23here tamaraman sanjay will show you how seem yogi adatnat has reached here and also met with a lot of
51:28people out here from the civil defense that you see the people men in khaki out here i'll try to speak
51:34to some of the some of the people from uh civil defense uh join me on indian tv tv a little bit
51:39of the
52:08foreign
52:22foreign
52:38foreign
52:52foreign
53:08We have to complete our work and keep our work together.
53:14That's why this program is done.
53:16So, Priti, you heard them, right? They are from the civil defence and they are trying hard, working hard.
53:21Since yesterday, during the rehearsal we saw and today, in front of the team, they also did the mock drill
53:27and were very active during that particular mock drill, even fire.
53:30Some elements were also torched there to give a symbolic look in this particular air strike.
53:36All right. Samarth, appreciate you joining us once again, viewers.
53:39We want to reiterate, this is just a mock drill which is taking place just to check preparedness
53:44where Indian citizens are concerned.
53:47Right now, there is no need to panic, not to sound alarmist.
53:50We're going to leave it at that. Thank you for joining us.