India’s powerful message on counter-terrorism, delivered by women

India chose two women officers–Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi–to brief the media on ‘Operation Sindoor’ sending out a powerful message to counter terrorism firmly and at the same time paying homage to widows of Pahalgam terror attack.

The duo’s presence at the press briefing of “Operation Sindoor" also highlighted India’s acceptance of gender equality in the defence forces. Both officers are highly decorated.

Wing Commander Vyomika Singh is an accomplished helicopter pilot who has flown a variety of aircraft and taken part in rescue operations in extreme conditions to evacuate civilians.

Colonel Qureshi, an officer of the Indian Army’s Corps of Signals and holds a trailblasing legacy. At just 35, she became the first woman officer to lead an Indian Army contingent at a multinational military exercise. The historic occasion was Exercise Force 18 in 2016, the largest foreign military exercise hosted by India, which saw participation from 18 countries including China, the U.S., Russia, Japan, and ASEAN nations.

She stood out as the only woman among the delegation leaders, a testament to her operational excellence and leadership. Beyond field commands, Col Qureshi has extensive experience in international peacekeeping. She served as a UN military observer in Congo in 2006 and has remained associated with peacekeeping missions since 2010, contributing significantly to India’s global peace efforts.

At the briefing, the two women officers — Vyomika Singh and Sofiya Qureshi — sat on the dais flanked by Misri, who delivered the opening statement from the government on ‘Operation Sindoor’.

The two officers then shared details about the sites hit by the Indian forces.

Vyomika, who’s married to an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, had shared how her name, perhaps, carried her destiny to become a pilot during a panel discussion hosted by a private channel in 2023.

“I was in Class-6 when the Eureka moment happened — I realised that I wanted to be a pilot and own the sky. We were having a discussion in the class on the meaning of names. Somebody shouted, ‘You are Vyomika, which means you own the sky’. Since that day, I wanted to be a pilot. This was in early 1990s,” Vyomika recalled during the panel discussion.

During the interaction that hailed the spirit of ‘Nari Shakti’, she also shared her journey into the IAF and how she earned her wings.

From dreaming to be a pilot, to logging over 2,500 flying hours, Vyomika has operated several helicopters across some of the country’s most challenging terrains, from the high-altitude sectors in Jammu and Kashmir to the remote areas in the Northeast.

In 2020, she led a rescue operation in Arunachal Pradesh, flying in extreme conditions to evacuate civilians.

“It has been an excellent experience (in the IAF), and I love it,” the IAF officer told the private channel, as she shared what it meant to fly a helicopter in different weather conditions and negotiate it. With Inputs from agencies

India