Home / War and Conflict / Army Chief Honors fallen heroes of Operation Pawan
Army Chief Honors fallen heroes of Operation Pawan
24 Nov
Summary
- Army chief will pay homage at National War Memorial for IPKF soldiers.
- Over 1,171 Indian soldiers died and 3,500 were wounded in Operation Pawan.
- IPKF veterans sought official commemoration day for the Sri Lankan mission.
The Indian Army chief is set to pay homage at the National War Memorial, honoring the sacrifices of soldiers from the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka. This event signifies the first large-scale official recognition in India for personnel lost in the late 1980s operation, which saw the deaths of 1,171 Indian soldiers and the wounding of 3,500.
Operation Pawan, initiated in October 1987, was India's initial major overseas military engagement aimed at disarming Tamil militant groups like the LTTE. The operation concluded on a difficult note, leading to Sri Lanka's demand for IPKF withdrawal by the early 1990s. The IPKF was recognized with numerous gallantry medals, including the Param Vir Chakra awarded posthumously to Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran.
For years, IPKF veterans and their families have advocated for an official day of commemoration in India, comparable to those observed for the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and the 1999 Kargil conflict. While Sri Lanka has established a memorial for the IPKF, India's formal recognition has been absent, with veterans previously organizing private ceremonies at the National War Memorial.
