Indian soldiers who were martyred while fighting against LTTE in Sri Lanka have been remembered for the first time on Veterans Day. After almost 40 years, the Government of India has paid tribute to the brave soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). Defense Minister Rajnath Singh himself remembered the peacekeepers of India, apart from the controversy over the decision of the then Rajiv Gandhi government (1984-89).
‘Soldiers who participated in Operation Pawan should have been honoured’
In a program for ex-servicemen on the occasion of Veterans Day in Delhi on Wednesday (January 14, 2026), Rajnath Singh clearly said, ‘The decision taken by the then government to send Indian forces to Sri Lanka can be debated. I don’t want to get into that debate, but the sacrifices made by our IPKF soldiers who participated in Operation Pawan, whatever they did during that conflict, I believe should be respected, should be respected.
Why was there controversy over the decision of Rajiv Gandhi government?
In 1987, Rajiv Gandhi sent the Indian Army to Jaffna to fight the Sri Lankan Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists. The Indian Army named its fight against the LTTE as Operation Pawan (1987–90), but the Indian Army suffered huge losses in this operation, which led to a major political controversy. In such a situation, along with the army, the subsequent governments also forgot Operation Pawan. Even the soldiers and their families who were martyred during the operation were not taken care of.
The Defense Minister said, ‘Today, when the whole country is remembering its soldiers, remembering their contribution and expressing gratitude towards them, I would also like to remember all the ex-servicemen who participated in the peacekeeping operation carried out in Sri Lanka in the form of IPKF about 40 years ago.’
Rajnath Singh said, ‘Indian forces have shown amazing courage, bravery and valor in Operation Pawan. Many soldiers have attained martyrdom in the line of duty. Their courage and sacrifice must be an inspiration for our future generations, there can be no doubt about this.
We are recognizing the contribution of martyred soldiers: Defense Minister
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka in 2015, the Defense Minister said that I am happy that today under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, our government is not only openly accepting the contribution of the peacekeepers participating in Operation Pawan, but the process of recognizing their contribution is also going on at every level. Rajnath Singh said that we are also recognizing the contribution of IPKF peacekeepers at the National War Memorial in New Delhi and we are also giving them full respect.
It is noteworthy that for the first time in August last year, Indian Army Vice Chief (Co-Chief) Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh had set a unique example by honoring the families of soldiers martyred during Operation Pawan on the very first day of his assuming charge. The Co-Army Chief along with the families of soldiers martyred during an operation in Sri Lanka paid homage at the War Memorial. Because Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh himself was involved in this operation that took place 36 years ago and was badly injured.
