Pahalgam Victim’s Daughter Ramachandran Hails Operation Sindoor

Thiruvananthapuram: Arathi R. Menon, daughter of N. Ramachandran, one of the 26 victims of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, said her family is proud of Indian forces who decimated terrorist camps in Pakistan as part of Operation Sindoor.

Arathi said the response of Indian forces had given comfort to their family. She told reporters in Kochi that ``We woke up to this news today. Like every Indian, we were also waiting to see when and how this would happen. It brings comfort to me and my entire family. While our loss cannot be compensated, we are happy and proud that this has taken place.”

Ramachandran, 65, a native of Edappally in Kochi, was shot in front of Arathi and her two children in Pahalgam on April 22.

“India has done it. We successfully targeted and dismantled nine terrorist camps. These terrorists brutally killed unarmed innocent people, in front of their wives, parents, children and grandchildren. It was a cowardly act.”

Aarthi said: ``I am incredibly proud of Indian forces, our values and our principles. We are not targeting innocent people. Instead, we are taking down those who commit such brutal crimes against humanity. Once again, our actions reinforce and communicate our values and principles. The world has witnessed this, and we as proud Indians stand united today.”

“My mother and I watched the news together and we both feel that justice is being served. We were waiting and our forces were also waiting for the right moment. My mother and our family have found some comfort in what has happened,’’she said.

“We will support all actions taken by our country and our forces in pursuing the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack. This is the right response as it sends a clear message that anyone who tries to attack us will face a suitable response."

On the Kashmiri youth Musafir and Sameer who stood by their family on the day of the brutal attack, Arathi stated;``All Kashmiris are Indians. Like all of us, they too will be proud of our forces for delivering this kind of response to the terrorists.”

While recollecting her tragic experience in Pahalgam, she spoke about the support given by the two Kashmiris. “I was accompanied by two drivers, Musafir and Sameer, who are both Kashmiris. They stood by me like elder and younger brothers. I waited in front of the mortuary until 3 AM with them while identifying my father. They treated me like their sister. Before saying goodbye to them at the airport, I told them that I now have two brothers in Kashmir. May Allah protect them,” she said.

Her words became kind of a slogan for social harmony across the country.

Arathi praised the naming of the tri-service military action as Operation Sindhoor, saying it carried emotional significance for families who lost their near and dear ones in the terror attack.