Free your nation from terror’s grip: PM Modi’s stark message to Pakistan’s youth

In a speech brimming with conviction and clarity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 26 delivered a sharp rebuke to Pakistan’s establishment while extending a bold call to its youth: rise against the plague of terrorism that’s devouring your country from within.

Addressing a massive rally in Gujarat’s Bhuj, near the India-Pakistan border, Modi said it was time for the people of Pakistan — especially the youth — to “step forward and free your nation from the disease of terror.”

“Pakistan ko aatank ki bimari se mukt karne ke liye, Pakistan ke naujawaano ko aage aana hoga. Sukh, chaain ki zindagi jiyo, roti khao—varna meri goli toh hai hi (Live a life of peace and dignity, eat your roti in calm—or face my bullet),” he declared in a charged address.

This was Modi's first visit to his home state since the decisive Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. Modi underlined the contrast between the two nations: India—now the world’s fourth-largest economy—and Pakistan, mired in internal decay and dictated by “terrorist overlords.”

“What has Pakistan achieved? Who robbed your children’s future? Who forced you into this helpless wandering? It’s those who nurture terrorism,” Modi said.

A call for reckoning

Modi didn't mince words. “Your government and your army have made terrorism a business model. They are trading in blood, sacrificing your future for their gain,” he told Pakistan’s citizens. “But India has chosen development, peace, and prosperity.”

The Prime Minister pointedly asserted that India’s war is not with the people of Pakistan, but with the architecture of terror being shielded and fed by its state.

“Our fight is with the hands that raise terrorism, not with ordinary citizens across the border,” he said.

He reminded the crowd of India’s policy of “zero tolerance” against terror, and affirmed that Operation Sindoor was a clear demonstration of that resolve.

“Those who try to make India bleed will get a response in their own language. We waited 15 days after the April 22 attack. Pakistan did nothing. So I gave our forces a free hand,” he said.

Precision with purpose

Modi praised India’s armed forces for executing a 22-minute strike that reduced nine key terrorist bases to rubble, calling it both a strategic operation and an emotional response to an attack on India’s soul.

“We identified and confirmed every location. We struck with precision and shattered them,” he said. “When Pakistan tried to retaliate, they learned a harsh lesson.”

Echoes of history, symbols of resolve

He invoked the courage of Bhuj’s women during the 1971 war, when they rebuilt a bombed airstrip in under 72 hours. “Remember 1971. These women defeated Pakistan then. Today, their blessings are with me,” he said, referring to a symbolic gift of a sindoor plant from the women of Bhuj. “This plant will grow at the PM House, as a symbol of national resilience.”

Modi also referenced an emotional roadshow in Vadodara, where women in red sarees and sindoor honored him and the Armed Forces for Operation Sindoor’s success.

“These women made me their messenger, their voice of gratitude to the soldiers,” he said, his voice charged with emotion. “The terrorists murdered fathers in front of their children. Tell me, could India stay silent after that?”

Defining doctrine

Concluding his address in Dahod, where he inaugurated a major locomotive workshop, Modi reminded the nation of the moral and civilizational roots of India’s battle against terror.

“This isn’t just about military retaliation. It’s about safeguarding the spirit of India, the dignity of our daughters, and the legacy of sacrifice. If anyone dares wipe off the sindoor of our sisters, they will be wiped out in return.”

Modi emphasized that post-2014, India has shattered decades-old shackles and moved forward across all sectors with renewed manufacturing, reduced imports, and an uncompromising stand against enemies of the state.

In essence, Modi’s message was unambiguous: India will walk the path of peace—but with its eyes open and its weapons ready. And for Pakistan’s youth, the choice is now theirs: walk toward roti and peace, or perish under the burden of their leaders’ chosen path of terror.