As the nation hailed the success of Operation Sindoor—India’s precision military response to the horrific Pahalgam terrorist attack—Odisha’s women politicians joined the chorus of praise, particularly for the historic moment when two female officers led the official media briefing. The nation woke up to a wave of patriotic fervour as news broke of India launching precision missile strikes on nine key terror targets across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The retaliatory operation came in the wake of the brutal killing of 26 Indian tourists by terrorists in Pahalgam.

Among the major targets were strongholds of terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke and Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur. In a defining moment for India’s armed forces and a symbol of women’s empowerment, two senior women officers—Wing Commander Vyomika Singh from the Indian Air Force and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi from the Indian Army—took the lead in briefing the media about the operation. This unprecedented move was widely applauded across the country and marked a turning point in gender representation within the military. Reacting to this, Barabati-Cuttack Congress MLA Sofia Firdous said, “It’s a proud moment. The women who led the briefing represent all those whose sindoor was taken away by terrorism.

Read more at: https://www.orissapost.com/odisha-women-leaders-hail-female-forces-briefing/