Prime Minister Narendra interacted with the National Disaster Response Force personnel involved in ‘Operation Dost’ in earthquake-hit Türkiye and Syria and lauded them for their great work in ‘Operation Dost’ in earthquake-hit Türkiye and Syria.
He elaborated on the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and 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.
Modi 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.
Modi 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.
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.
