Kendrapada: Duryodhana Mohanty, a 75-year-old war veteran from Barunadia village in Kendrapada district, has called Operation Sindoor against Pakistan a “courageous step”.Mohanty, who fought in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, noted the contrast between modern warfare technology and conventional weapons used five decades ago. “The use of missiles and armed drones for Operation Sindoor has changed warfare completely,” said Mohanty.Reflecting on his wartime experience, Mohanty recalled using basic equipment like self-loading rifles, mortars and howitzers during the 1971 conflict.“The maximum gun range then was just about a km,” he said, comparing it to advanced missile systems now, many of which were tested at the integrated test ranges on Dr Abdul Kalam Island and Chandipur in Odisha.As a soldier of the 14th Battalion of Brigade of The Guards, Mohanty participated in crucial battles from Habiganj to Dhaka. “We crossed the border from Agartala to reach East Pakistan on Dec 1, 1971,” he recalled. The seventeen-day war resulted in numerous casualties, including eight soldiers from his regiment.Mohanty witnessed the surrender of Pakistani forces under General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, along with 93,000 troops, to the allied forces led by General Jagjit Singh Aurora on Dec 16, 1971. “It was a proud moment for us. We celebrated the victory by dancing with Mukti Bahini on the streets of Dhaka,” he said, displaying his war medals.After serving 32 years in the Army, including participation in Operation Meghdoot to secure the Siachen glacier in 1984, Mohanty retired in 2002. He currently serves as the sarpanch of Barunadia gram panchayat, having won the post for the third time in 2022.The veteran now lives with his family in the village, drawing a monthly pension of Rs 41,000. His eldest son Amit is an ex-soldier, while his younger son Arjit serves in Odisha police.