New Delhi | The sacrifices made by Indian soldiers during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka nearly four decades ago should be honoured, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday, appearing to criticise the governments in the 1990s for not publicly recognising their contributions.
He said the Modi government is not only acknowledging the contribution of the Indian troops in the operation with an "open heart", but it is also in the process of recognising their contribution at every level.
The defence minister made the 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 IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force)," he said.
"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 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 Indian Peacekeeping Force's stay in Sri Lanka between July 1987 and March 1990.
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 government the troops were pulled out of the island nation when VP Singh-dispensation was in power.
"In Operation Pawan, Indian forces displayed remarkable courage and valor. Many soldiers attained martyrdom in the line of duty. There can be no doubt about their courage and sacrifice," Singh said.
"Our government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not only accepting the contribution of the peacekeepers who participated in Operation Pawan with an open heart, but it is also in the process of recognising their contribution at every level," 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.
"We are also recognising the contribution of the IPKF peacekeepers at the National War Memorial in New Delhi and we are also giving them full respect," he said.
Modi paid tributes to the fallen warriors of the IPKF at the memorial during his trip to Sri Lanka in April last year as well.