The news of “Operation Sindoor” by the Indian government has brought a mix of relief and enduring sorrow to the family of Manish Ranjan, the IB officer from West Bengal who tragically lost his life in the militant attack in Pahalgam.
India on Wednesday hit nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, targeting terrorist infrastructure there. The strike came two weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack. While the family welcomes the operation as a step towards justice, the void left by Manish’s passing remains immense.
In a telephonic conversation with The Indian Express, Manish’s father said, “I would say whichever country gives shelter to terrorists should face such consequences. The fight against terrorists must continue.”
The profound personal loss, however, overshadows any sense of relief. “I have lost my son…My entire world is shattered,” the father, Mangalesh Mishra, expressed. “He was the best son. From childhood till date, he always made us proud. He was excellent in studies, a great cricketer and was good at quizzing… one incident changed our whole life.”
“My dearest daughter-in-law is in her worst phase. She faints every now and then. If anyone comes home, we get tense as she gets a panic attack,” Manglesh Mishra shared, highlighting the severe emotional toll on Manish’s wife. “I already had a bypass surgery somehow to just stand by her side. We are trying to be strong. I welcome Operation Sindoor by the Indian government but what we have lost is far more painful,” he added.
Manish’s friend, Sanjay Gupta, who is also a railway official, viewed Operation Sindoor as a significant step.
“Operation Sindoor is a real tribute from the Indian Army and our Honorable Prime minister, not only to the family of Pahalgam martyrs but also for all the Bharatiya citizens. It has brought justice and emotional relief to us. This sort of action must be continued in future to eradicate terrorism from its root from our country. The terrorist camps should be demolished everywhere in Pakistan.”
Manish Ranjan, an IB officer from West Bengal working in Hyderabad, was among the 26 victims killed in the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam. He was in Jammu and Kashmir for a pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi Temple and was traveling there from Kashmir when the attack occurred. His family lives in Jhalda, Purulia.