Gives powerful message: Army veterans laud PM Modi's visit to Adampur Airbase

New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unannounced visit to the frontline Adampur Air Force Base in Punjab has sent a powerful message, not just to the Indian armed forces but also to adversaries like Pakistan, according to senior military veterans and Defence experts.

The visit, held just days after India’s successful 'Operation Sindoor', has triggered strong praise for its symbolism and timing.

Retired Indian Army officer Captain Dr. Suresh Vanjari, who served during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, sharply called out Pakistan’s misinformation tactics: “Pakistan has been lying from the beginning. During the 1965 war, they claimed to have destroyed 10 of our aircraft, when in reality, they hadn’t destroyed even one in combat. Today again, they lied about destroying our airbase, but the Prime Minister showed the nation it is intact.”

Captain Vanjari also took aim at American involvement in the India-Pakistan crisis: “The US has always tilted pro-Pakistan. Be it funding through IMF or intervening diplomatically, they try to shield Pakistan. But India today has superior technology and air power, we don’t need external mediation.”

Defence expert Major General Dhruv Katoch (Retd.) described the Prime Minister’s visit to Adampur as a “very firm commitment of India's policy” and noted it signalled a shift in doctrine: “What the Prime Minister has stated is that he will not distinguish between a terrorist and their sponsor. If Pakistan sponsors terror, it will face consequences. This is the PM Modi Doctrine.”

Major Gen Katoch further said that India’s clear stance against any third-party mediation, including that of former US President Donald Trump, was consistent with its sovereign approach to security and diplomacy: “India has never accepted foreign mediation in internal matters like Kashmir, and that position remains unchanged.”

Echoing similar sentiments, G.J. Singh, a senior Defence analyst, emphasised the morale-boosting effect of the Prime Minister’s ground presence: “Adampur is a frontline airbase. Pakistan claimed it was destroyed. But the Prime Minister's landing there proves otherwise. Standing among our soldiers and boosting their morale is something you cannot quantify; it’s a message that reverberates through every rank.”

As the dust settles post-tensions, these statements from Army veterans and analysts reinforce that India’s assertive and transparent communication, backed by action on the ground, is a key deterrent against terrorism and aggression from across the border.

--IANS

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