NEW DELHI: The sacrifices of Indian soldiers during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka nearly 40 years ago should be recognised and honoured, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday regretting that the then govts did not “respect” their contributions.“The decision taken by the then govt to send Indian troops to Sri Lanka is open to debate, but the neglect of IPKF troops who took part in the operation cannot be justified in any sense. Their sacrifice and struggle during that period was not respected,” Rajnath said at an event to mark the 10th Armed Forces Veterans’ Day. India had lost around 1,200 soldiers during the IPKF’s stay in Sri Lanka between July 1987 and March 1990.The Modi govt is “not only acknowledging the contribution of the peacekeepers who participated in Operation Pawan with an open mind, but is also in the process of recognising their contribution at every level”, he said, adding that during the operation Pawan, the Indian forces displayed amazing courage and valour.“Many soldiers died in the line of duty. Their courage and sacrifice should have been an inspiration for our future generations, but unfortunately it did not happen,” Rajnath said. When PM Narendra Modi visited Sri Lanka in 2015, he paid homage to Indian soldiers at the IPKF memorial, he said. “Now, we are also recognising the contributions of the IPKF soldiers at the National War Memorial in New Delhi and giving them the respect they deserve,” the minister said.India and Sri Lanka signed a historic peace accord on July 29, 1987, following which New Delhi deployed the IPKF in the island nation to bring peace in Tamil-dominated areas that had witnessed widespread violence and civil strife for years. However, peace eluded the regions and the IPKF was eventually pulled out. While the decision to send the IPKF was taken by the Rajiv Gandhi govt, the troops were pulled out of the island nation when the VP Singh dispensation was in power.Rajnath described veterans as the living pillars of national consciousness, symbols of collective courage, and an inspiration to the future generations. He urged them to guide the youth through their experiences. provide the right direction to Agniveers and young soldiers. He reiterated his govt’s resolve of veterans’ welfare, enumerating the concrete steps taken in this direction, including fulfilling the long-pending demand of One Rank One Pension (OROP) and strengthening Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).The secretary (ex-servicemen welfare) pointed out that around 60,000 soldiers retire every year, resulting in about 3.5 million veterans, which indicates that the welfare of ex-servicemen is a huge responsibility that the nation must fulfil.
