The sacrifices made by Indian soldiers during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka nearly four decades ago should be honoured, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday (14).
He said that the Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not only acknowledging the contribution of the Indian troops in the said operation with an ‘open heart’ but is also in the process of recognising their contribution at every level.
He made these remarks at an event that was hosted on the occasion of the Armed Forces Veterans’ Day.
“Today, when the entire Nation is remembering its soldiers, commemorating their contributions, and expressing gratitude, I also want to remember all the veterans who participated in the peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka nearly 40 years ago as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). The decision taken by the then Government to send Indian forces to Sri Lanka is open to debate. I don’t want to get into it. But, I believe that the sacrifices made by our IPKF soldiers who participated in Operation Pawan should be respected,” he said.
India had lost around 1,200 soldiers during the IPKF’s stay in Sri Lanka between July 1987 and March 1990. India and Sri Lanka signed a historic peace accord on 29 July 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 Government of Premier Rajiv Gandhi, the troops were pulled out of the island nation when the dispensation of Premier V.P. Singh was in power.
“In Operation Pawan, Indian forces displayed remarkable courage and valour. Many soldiers attained martyrdom in the line of duty. There can be no doubt about their courage and sacrifice,” he said.
Singh also recalled Modi paying tributes to the Indian soldiers at the IPKF memorial in Colombo during his trip to the island nation in 2015. Modi paid tributes to the fallen warriors of the IPKF at the memorial during his trip to Sri Lanka in April of last year (2025) as well. “We are also recognising the contribution of the IPKF at the National War Memorial in New Delhi and we are also giving them full respect,” he said.
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