The Prime Minister interacted with the National Disaster Response Force personnel involved in ‘Operation Dost’ in earthquake-hit Türkiye and Syria.

Addressing the personnel, the Prime Minister lauded them for their great work in ‘Operation Dost’ in earthquake-hit Türkiye and Syria. The Prime Minister elaborated on the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. The Prime Minister said in Türkiye and Syria the Indian team reflected the spirit of the entire world being one family for us. 

Highlighting the importance of quick response time during a natural calamity, the Prime Minister referred to the ‘Golden Hour’ and said that the speedy response of the NDRF team in Turkiye drew the attention of the entire world. He said that the quick response highlights the preparedness and training skills of the team. 

Recalling the images of a mother who blessed the members of the team for their efforts, the Prime Minister noted the pride that every Indian felt after witnessing every image of rescue and relief operations that was carried out in the affected areas. The Prime Minister underlined the unmatched professionalism and the human touch and said that it plays a crucial role when a person is dealing with trauma and has lost everything. The Prime Minister also praised the acts of compassion shown by the team

Remembering the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat and recalling his time as a volunteer there, the Prime Minister underlined the difficulty of the task of removing rubble and finding people below that and how the entire medical system was hit as the hospital itself had collapsed in Bhuj. The Prime Minister also recalled the Machhu Dam tragedy in 1979. “On the basis of my experiences in these calamities, I can appreciate your hard work, spirit and emotions. Today I salute you all.”, the Prime Minister said. 

He underlined that those who are capable of helping themselves are called self-sufficient but those who have the capability to help others in their time of need are called selfless. This, he said, applies not only to individuals but to nations also. That is why in the past few years India has nurtured its selflessness along with its self-sufficiency. “Wherever we reach with the ‘Tiranga’, there is an assurance that now that the Indian teams have arrived, the situation will start getting better”, the Prime Minister said as he threw light on the role of Tiranga in Ukraine. The Prime Minister also talked about the respect that the Tricolor earned among the local people. The Prime Minister also remembered how the Tricolor worked as a shield for everyone in Ukraine during Operation Ganga. Similarly, evacuations were conducted in very adverse circumstances from Afghanistan in Operation Devi Shakti. The Same commitment, the Prime Minister said, was evident during the Corona pandemic when India brought back every citizen home and earned global goodwill by supplying medicines and vaccines.  

“India was one of the first responders when the earthquake hit Türkiye and Syria”, the Prime Minister said as he underlined India’s commitment to humanity through ‘Operation Dost’. He gave examples of earthquakes in Nepal, and the crisis in Maldives and Sri Lanka and said that India was the first to come forward to help. He noted that the trust of other countries is also increasing in the Indian forces as well as the NDRF. The Prime Minister expressed delight that the NDRF has built a very good reputation among the people of the country over the years. “The people of the country trust NDRF”, he said. He underlined that the faith and hope of the people are reassured when NDRF reaches the field and said that it is a great achievement in itself. When sensitivity is added to a force with skill, the Prime Minister said, then the strength of that force increases manifold.

Emphasizing the need to strengthen India’s capacity for relief and rescue at the time of the disaster, the Prime Minister said, “We have to strengthen our identity as the best relief and rescue team in the world. The better our own preparation, the better we will be able to serve the world.” Concluding the address, the Prime Minister lauded the efforts and experiences of the NDRF team and said that even though they were carrying out rescue operations in the field, he had always been connected with them over the past 10 days through the mind and heart.

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DS/TS