We no longer carry candles after terror attacks because we have BrahMos: Kerala governor

"Now, instead of candles, we have BrahMos (missiles) in our hands. This difference becomes visible when self-awareness awakens. Now we don't carry candles because we have BrahMos in our hands," said Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar.

Indore: The way India responds to terrorist attacks has changed, and instead of lighting candles, the country relies on BrahMos missiles, Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar said on Friday.

Inaugurating the three-day literary festival `Narmada Sahitya Manthan' in Indore, Arlekar referred to Operation Sindoor carried out by the Indian Armed Forces in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

The festival's theme is `Bharat Uday' (Rise of India).

"The terrorist attack in Pahalgam did not just target 26 people (who were killed). It attacked all of us. You saw how our government responded to this attack...Operation Sindoor was carried out," the Kerala Governor said.

Earlier, when terrorist attacks took place, people lit candles in the evening to pay tribute to the dead and returned home, but now the atmosphere has changed, he said.

"Now, instead of candles, we have BrahMos (missiles) in our hands. This difference becomes visible when self-awareness awakens. Now we don't carry candles because we have BrahMos in our hands," said Arlekar.

He also claimed that about 250 years ago, the British and Hyder Ali (the then de facto ruler of Mysore) stopped the celebration of Mahamagh Mela on the banks of the Nila River in Kerala.

"After a long gap of 250 years, the Mahamagh Mela has resumed in Kerala this year. A large number of devotees are coming to this fair from across the country. A new era of self-awareness and self-awakening has begun in our country," said Arlekar.

During the British rule, efforts were not made to promote an education policy based on Indian culture, he said.

"Due to the lack of self-awareness then, we lost our identity. As a result, the influence of the same British-era education policy is still visible in our homes today," said Arlekar.

To realise the vision of developed India, citizens should use indigenous products as much as possible, he said.