Arathi R Menon, the daughter of the Kochi native N Ramachandran who was shot dead by terrorists in Pahalgam on April 22, said she was proud of India’s targeted strike on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Speaking to the media in Kochi on Wednesday, Arathi said that she felt proud as an Indian after hearing the news of Operation Sindoor, the country’s retaliation against terrorist camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. “Even though our loss can never be compensated, we are happy that India hit back at Pakistan,” she said.

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“We have been waiting for this day. When I woke up this morning with the news, it came as a relief and a comforting moment. We as citizens cannot personally act against terrorism. We expected the news, and it gives us hope. India must retaliate against such attempts to harm civilians. I feel proud of being an Indian right now. It was cowardly of the terrorists to attack us innocent persons. But India acted with courage and selectively picked the nine terrorist sites,” said Arathi.

“No one can compensate for our loss. Now, there is a sense of relief and comfort. There is a feeling that justice was done,” she further said.

“The terrorists killed innocent people by entering our soil. It was a cowardly act. Indian forces did a courageous act by attacking the terrorists camps,” she added.

Arathi said there is no better name than ‘Operation Sindhoor’ to the terrorist act that wiped off the Sindhoor of many women like my mother. “There couldn’t be a better name for the Armed Forces’ operation as the terrorists had wiped off the ‘sindoor’ of many women like my mother.”

“Like my father, many people were killed in front of their children. I give a big salute to the Armed Forces who have been working continuously on this,” Arathi added.

She said the strong reply given by India is a big relief to the families of those killed in the terrorist attack amid their irreparable loss.

Arathi, a mother of twin boys, was vacationing at the Baisaran valley in Pahalgam with her parents and children when her father Ramachandran was killed by terrorists.

“Suddenly, one of the terrorists came out. He came to the people who were running and told them to lie down on the ground. He asked each of them something and shot them. Then he came to me and my father and asked us to recite the kalima. He kept repeating the order. But when we pleaded ignorance, he shot my father. After that, he placed the gun on my head. Seeing this my children screamed and cried out, and maybe hearing their cries, he walked away without harming us,” Arati had said earlier.