New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with personnel involved in 'Operation Dost' in Turkey where he lauded the disaster relief teams saying that India has emerged as a selfless nation. India responded within hours after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on February 6. India launched 'Operation Dost' shortly after the earthquake-ravaged Turkey to extend help to the quake-hit countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the teams, along with the dog squad, that returned from Turkey.
In an interaction with the Prime Minister, NDRF heroes shared their personal experiences while carrying out the rescue mission in Turkey. While some said that they were overjoyed to have been compared to the Almighty, some got emotional narrating the scenes they saw. Some of the personnel were going out of India for the first time, While some had left their families and children to help people in Turkey.
Also read: NDRF's 47 rescuers with dog squad return from 10-day ops in earthquake-hit Turkey
The Commanding Officer said, "A relative of a patient there said, you are just like a father to us. I assure you that the next generation of my country will remember your efforts. Another person said, "I can never forget the scenes I saw in Turkey. I was just like the lockdown in 2020, the only difference was that most of the buildings had flattened."
Addressing the NDRF personnel, the Prime Minister said, "You have made India proud." Modi further said, "India emerged as the first responder and extended help to any country hit by natural disaster in any part of the world. India has established itself as a self-sufficient and selfless nation." I appreciate the NDRF's efforts, but we need to strengthen our identity as the world's best rescue and relief teams," Narendra Modi added.
