New Delhi: With an S-400 missile defence system in the backdrop, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a firm message Tuesday from Adampur Air Base to Pakistan: Not only have you failed to harm any of India’s military installations but you will be annihilated if terrorism continues from your soil.
In his first speech to the armed forces since Operation Sindoor, Modi lauded the military for humbling Pakistan in the four-day engagement that resulted in the destruction of nine terror sites, killing of over 100 terrorists and damage to its eight military installations.
“Aatank ke viruddh Bharat ki Lakshman Rekha ekdam spasht hai. Ab phir koi terror attack hua to Bharat jawab dega, pakka jawab dega. (India’s Lakshman Rekha against terrorism is now crystal clear. India will respond and definitely respond if hit by a terror attack),” he said, in an over 27-minute speech which echoed the message of his address to the nation Monday night.
But the significance of the speech was immense. It was delivered from the Adampur base, merely 100 km from the Pakistan border, which Pakistan claimed to have destroyed along with the S-400 missile defence system. India had rubbished the claims and TV cameras following Modi corroborated that.
Reiterating that Operation Sindoor is India’s new normal, he praised the soldiers, saying what they have achieved is unprecedented, unimaginable and amazing, making every Indian proud and indebted.
Modi toured the base and greeted uniformed personnel who shouted ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ after he arrived there unannounced early Tuesday morning.
After interacting with the soldiers, he delivered the speech with an S-400 system in the backdrop, wearing a Western Air Command cap with its trademark trishul embroidered on it.
He asked them to remain on guard and asserted, “This is the new India, this India seeks peace. But if humanity is attacked, it also knows how to crush the enemy on the battlefield.”
He said Operation Sindoor is no ordinary campaign but a trinity of India’s policy, intent and decisive capability, affirming that the country is the land of Buddha, the messenger of peace, as well as Guru Gobind Singh, who had galvanised the Sikh army against enemies.
His speech interspersed with enthusiastic soldiers raising the slogan of ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’, Modi said it is an Indian tradition to take up arms to establish ‘dharma’ (righteousness). “When the sindoor of our sisters and daughters was wiped away, we crushed terrorists in their hideouts.”
He said, “Patrons of terrorism have realised that casting an evil eye on India will have only one consequence: destruction. There will be only one consequence of killing innocents: destruction, total annihilation.”
He said terrorists thought they had the protection of the Pakistani armed forces. The Indian Air Force, Army and Navy humbled the Pakistani forces and conveyed to them that there is no place in Pakistan where terrorists can feel safe.
Modi said, “We will kill them in their hideouts and give no opportunity to escape.”
The prime minister also praised the central armed police forces like the BSF, which is deployed at the International Border with Pakistan, and said they have made every Indian proud.
“I have come to you in the early morning for your ‘darshan’,” Modi said, praising the air warriors. He said they and their colleagues will be the most important chapter in any discussion on India’s valour even after several decades.
“You all have become an inspiration for not only the present but the future generations,” he said, saluting them.
Pakistan will have sleepless nights looking at India’s drones and missiles after being left stunned by their speed and precision, he said, slamming the neighbouring country for using civilian aircraft in its airspace during the conflict and lauding the Indian forces for striking the enemies without harming civilian planes.
He said, “Not only were terror sites and air bases in Pakistan destroyed, but their unholy intent and misadventure were also defeated.”
Modi said Pakistan made many attempts to attack Indian air bases, including the one in Adampur, but failed against its robust air defence system.
He reiterated the three messages he had made in his address to the nation, including that India will not succumb to Pakistan’s nuclear blackmail and respond to any provocation from Pakistan on its terms and timing.
He heaped praise on the integrated air and land combat system and the integration between their modern weaponry and manpower. The coordination shown by the armed forces was amazing, he said.
Modi said the Indian Air Force has now “mastered the art of countering adversaries not just with weapons but also with data and drones.”
He said India’s traditional defence system, combined with the indigenous Akash anti-aircraft missiles and the modern S-400 platform, provides a strong shield against the enemy’s firepower.
“Pakistan cannot match our capability built on modern and cutting-edge technology,” he said, adding that the Indian armed forces were provided the best technologies of the world in the past decade.
“When our armed forces take the wind out of nuclear blackmail, our enemies understand the importance of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’,” he said.
“Bharat Mata ki Jai is not just a slogan, but our soldiers’ pledge to dedicate their lives for the nation. When our drones and missiles hit our enemies, they hear ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’,” he said.
Adampur is India’s second-largest air base and houses Rafale and Mig-29 squadrons. It has played an important role in the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan as well.
