Air Marshal Bharti’s role in Operation Sindoor fills Bihar’s Jhunni Kalan village with pride

For the parents of Director General of Air Operations Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, the heroic role played by their son during 'Operation Sindoor' is yet to sink in.

''It's a matter of great pride for me, the villagers and the country that our forces gave a strong reply to terrorists. My son played a crucial role in that. The whole village is proud,'' the Air Marshal's father Jeevachhlal Yadav told PTI on Wednesday.

Yadav, a retired state irrigation department employee, said, ''He's been disciplined since childhood. I always wanted him to join the Navy, but he was determined to join the Indian Air Force — just like his grandfather had wished.'' ''Our forces displayed great courage during 'Operation Sindoor', and my son played a crucial role. The villagers are elated — our chests are swelling with pride. He has been a disciplined human being since childhood,'' he added.

Yadav said his son had not mentioned anything about the operation during a recent call.

''I came to know about his role from neighbours in Srinagar Hata, Purnea town and from villagers, but we could hardly believe it. People have been calling and visiting to congratulate us,'' he added.

Jhunni Kalan village, the ancestral home of Air Marshal Bharti, has become the epicentre of pride, as the decorated officer was one of the armed forces' team members who helped in scripting India's most daring counter-terror operations.

'Operation Sindoor', launched on May 7, saw the armed forces conduct precision air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.

Bharti's mother Urmila Devi said, ''I have nothing much to say about my son. The entire country knows what he has done for the nation. It was his dream to join the armed forces. It's a proud moment for us, for the people of Purnea, and countrymen''.

''Bhaiya did a great job for the country,'' said Mithilesh Kumar, Bharti's younger brother, who works in a pharmaceutical firm.

''He hadn't spoken to us since the operation began. Today, after so many days, he finally called. People from across Purnea town and our village are coming to congratulate us. The whole village is celebrating,'' Mithilesh told PTI Videos.

''The last time he visited us was about a year ago. He met everyone with the same warmth as always. Our country is safe only because of our soldiers,'' he added.

Bharti did his primary schooling at a government school in Purnea and then at the Tilaiya Sainik School in Jharkhand. Later, he went to the National Defence Academy in Pune and was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 1987. He was awarded the President's Air Force Medal in 2008 and was promoted to Air Marshal in 2023.

'Operation Sindoor' was launched on the night of May 7 with precision attacks on nine sites in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) and even inside Pakistani territory that destroyed training camps of known terror organisations.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)