Operation Pawan: India’s First Major Overseas Military Intervention

Why in the News?

For the first time, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) has formally paid homage to the soldiers who lost their lives during Operation Pawan, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) mission undertaken in Sri Lanka in 1987. This marks a long-awaited official recognition of the operation and its martyrs.

What is Operation Pawan?

About

• Operation Pawan was initiated in 1987 by the Rajiv Gandhi government to deploy the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka.
• It was India’s first major overseas military expedition after Independence.
• The operation was carried out under the Indo–Sri Lanka Accord (1987), aimed at stabilizing the civil conflict between Tamil militant groups and Sinhala forces.
• The IPKF was mandated to disarm Tamil militant organisations, including the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and help restore peace.

Objectives of Operation Pawan

• Enforce the disarmament of LTTE and other militant groups.
• Support implementation of the Indo–Sri Lanka Accord.
• Restore law, order, and civilian administration in affected regions.
• Prevent escalation of the civil war and humanitarian crisis.

Key Features / Course of Operation

• Indian troops undertook counter-insurgency, peacekeeping, and stabilization missions across northern and eastern Sri Lanka.
• The operation faced fierce resistance from the LTTE, turning into a prolonged conflict.
• Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran, who displayed exceptional bravery during this mission, was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.
• The operation formally concluded in 1990 with the withdrawal of the IPKF.

Significance

• It remains a major chapter in India’s military and diplomatic history, reflecting complexities in regional peacekeeping.
• Highlighted challenges of intervention in intra-state conflicts.
• Despite Sri Lanka building a memorial honouring IPKF soldiers, the operation received no formal recognition at India’s National War Memorial for decades.
• In 2025, the Indian Army finally acknowledged the contributions and sacrifices of IPKF soldiers, addressing a longstanding demand from veterans and families.