New Delhi: Amid light drizzle and with the spirited beats of the song Chak De India playing in the backdrop, over a thousand people marched down the Kartavya Path to the National War Memorial in New Delhi Tuesday with the Indian Tricolour in their hands, chanting ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ in unison.
Three days after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Delhi government organised a “Shaurya Samman Yatra” in support of Operation Sindoor to honour the valour and efforts of the Indian Armed Forces.
The march saw participation by National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets, Civil Defence volunteers, advocates at Delhi High Court and Supreme Court, BJP workers, and Delhi residents.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also joined the rally with a placard that read: “The Indian Armed Forces Are Our Pride”, along with the words “Operation Sindoor”. She was accompanied by several BJP leaders, including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Verma, Delhi’s Minister of Law and Justice Kapil Mishra, MP Bansuri Swaraj, and Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva.
The BJP has launched an 11-day nationwide ‘Tiranga Yatra’ to celebrate the “success of Operation Sindoor”.
Several young women NCC cadets, who were present at the rally, spoke of the pride they felt participating in the event, calling it a meaningful way to “show their respect and stand with those who protect the nation”.
Among them was 19-year-old Hrishika Sharma, whose sister is a third-generation Army officer currently posted in Jammu. “I’m here today for her, and for all our armed forces who are out there protecting us,” she said. “My mother served in the Army, so did my maternal grandfather—I carry forward their legacy with pride.”
Sharma said that her sister witnessed Pakistan’s drone attacks last week up close. “It’s frightening to know what she faces, but I also understand that she’s doing her duty. If I were in her place, I would have done the same,” she said. Recalling a conversation with her sister from two days ago, Sharma said, “She was anxious, but calm. That’s the kind of strength she has.”
Piyush, law aspirant and Class 12 student from Sarvodaya Co-ed Vidyalaya in Sultanpur Majra, attended the march with his schoolmates. He said, “We are here to support the Indian Army so they know they’re not alone in this.”
Meyikarga, 35, had her ‘Aking’—a traditional woven skirt from Arunachal Pradesh—wrapped around her waist. Though no one in her family serves in the armed forces, her commitment to the country was clear.
She said, “The armed forces may not be my family by blood, but they protect us like family. I’m here because we stand united, no matter what.”
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)