Retired As Brigadier But Was Ready To Come Back As Company Commander: Army Veteran Pours His Heart Out
In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Brigadier (Retd.) Pradeep Yadu, who served on multiple fronts for nearly 4 decades, looked back at Operation Sindoor.
Published : May 13, 2025 at 6:48 PM IST
|Updated : May 13, 2025 at 7:50 PM IST
By Praveen Kumar Singh
Raipur (Chhattisgarh): India and Pakistan witnessed military escalations last week against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, a calculated military response by India to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly tourists.
The operation involved deep strikes on terrorist camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), marking a significant shift in India’s counterterrorism doctrine.
In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Brigadier (Retd.) Pradeep Yadu, who served in the India Army for nearly four decades, looked back at Operation Sindoor, the escalations between the two countries, and his readiness to offer his services for the country again at a moment's notice.
“I retired as a brigadier, but I was ready to go back and serve as a company commander. When a soldier fights for the country, he fights for the 140 crore citizens, regardless of their religion or their social status,” he said.
In the Indian Army, a Brigadier is a one-star rank, typically commanding a brigade that comprises multiple battalions, with a total strength of around 3,000 troops. Company Commander, on the other hand, is usually a Captain or, in some cases, a Lieutenant or Major, commanding a company, a unit of around 120 troops, which is part of a battalion.
"Operation Sindoor was carried out because of the Pahalgam attack. India wanted to teach the terrorists a lesson, as it was for the first time they had targeted innocent tourists. They targeted people based on religion, which makes it clear that their motive was to trigger a communal crisis in India," Brigadier (Retd.) Yadu said.
He said since Pakistan has always supported terrorists, be it financially or through setting up and operating training camps, India had to take decisive action to target the terror camps and wipe off the plotters of the Pahalgam attack.
"India has always resolved to fight against terrorism. That is why during the intervening night of 7-8 May, between 1.05 am to 1.30 am, we targeted 9 terror camps. Operation Sindoor was against terrorists,” he said.
The retired brigadier said that after India’s response to the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan targeted military installations and civilian areas in India by using drones and missiles, while also violating the ceasefire along the entire Line of Control.
“They used artillery and other weaponry to target the border areas. In such a situation, India’s response was natural as we would not have remained silent,” he said.
The Army veteran said Pakistan carries out a proxy war in India as it wants to remain in the limelight internationally to garner financial support, given the state it is in.
“Opposing India, either directly or indirectly, is part of Pakistan’s foreign policy. It is a way for Pakistan to remain in the limelight, and since they have nuclear weapons, any confrontation with India becomes an international issue,” he said.
“Pakistan is so weak financially that it cannot even fulfil the basic needs of its citizens. But with such proxy wars, anti-India propaganda and in the garb of nuclear weapons, Pakistan manages to create a situation where other countries and international organisations like the IMF support it financially,” he said.
On the ceasefire declared last week, Brigadier (Retd.) Yadu said that it was difficult to predict how long it would last. “Pakistan has always feigned ignorance, but whether they agree or not, the world has got the message that it is a country that gives refuge to terrorists and their bosses,” he said.
Brigadier (Retd.) Yadu said it was an apt occasion for India to declare Pakistan a terrorist state in the Parliament. “After Pahalgam, it is a good opportunity for India to officially declare Pakistan a terrorist state in Parliament. If India does it, it would be a major step,” he said.
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