“The decision taken by the then government to send Indian forces to Sri Lanka is open to debate. But I believe the sacrifices made by our IPKF soldiers who participated in Operation Pawan should be respected,” he said. India had lost around 1,200 soldiers during the Indian Peacekeeping Force’s stay in Sri Lanka between July 1987 and March 1990. Mr. Singh also recalled Mr. Modi paying tributes to the Indian soldiers at the IPKF memorial in Colombo during his trip to the island nation in 2015. Mr. Modi paid tributes to the fallen warriors of the IPKF at the memorial during his trip to Sri Lanka in April last year as well.

Source: The Hindu January 14, 2026 07:36 UTC