'India is one of the youngest nations... belongs to Gen Z': Colonel Sofiya Qureshi lauds youth for Operation Sindoor

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who also represented the Indian armed forces at press briefings during Operation Sindoor, on Friday acknowledged the role of the youth and the internet during the four-day conflict with Pakistan. As she addressed the Young Leaders Forum in New Delhi, Colonel Qureshi said, "War is not only fought in bunkers or with bullets, but also with bites and bandwidth.”

Lauding the role of the citizens, she continued, “Responsibilities for defending a nation are not just the military's game; civilians also play a role in addressing external and internal threats. Over the years, the Indian army has trained officers and troops in 'saashtra' and 'shashtra.' 'Saashtra' means knowledge, strategy, and wisdom, while 'Shashtra' means weaponry and warfare, representing a blend of intellect and strength."

“Every generation has carried the flame of patriotism, from baby boomers to Gen Z. Be it seven decades ago or Operation Sindoor, you all have witnessed it. You, the 'Yuva Shakti of Bharat,' you are the force of multipliers. You are not only trained in firepower, but also in the firewalls. You are ready to face kinetic and non-kinetic domains. War is not only fought in bunkers or with bullets, but also with bites and bandwidths. India is one of the youngest nations in the world. Over 65 per cent of the population is under 35, which belongs to Gen Z. This is not just a demographic dividend. It is our strategic reserve. Youth have played a pivotal role, both in uniform and as civilians, in strengthening the national security framework.” Col Qureshi added.

Operation Sindoor:

Indian tri-services launched Operation Sindoor, which carried out precision strikes in Pakistan, where nine locations were targeted. This came in the wake of the dastardly terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists. On April 23, New Delhi ordered diplomatic measures against Islamabad, setting a deadline for Pakistani nationals to leave the country.

During the briefing Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "It was deemed essential that the perpetrators and planners of the 22 April attack be brought to justice. Despite a fortnight having passed since the attacks, there has been no demonstrable step from Pakistan to take action against the terror infrastructure on its territory or territory under its control."

He added, "Instead, all it has indulged in denials and allegations. Our intelligence monitoring of Pakistan-based terrorist modules indicated that further attacks against India were impending. Thus, there was a compulsion both to deter and to preempt."

A fortnight later, India continues to mourn the death of innocent tourists, who we brutally killed in front of their loved ones. The images have numbed the country and they were angered by the dastardly attack. After the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008, this one shook the nation.

On May 6 as India's Ministry of Defence confirmed the launch of the operation, the international community was watching the escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations.