India, May 30 -- In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, memories resurfaced of 300 women from a village in Gujarat's Kutch who had rebuilt a bombed airstrip in the Bhuj Indian Air Force (IAF) station in just 72 hours during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

During the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the neighbouring nation had rendered the Bhuj airstrip unusable after bombing it with jets. Around 300 women from the Madhapur village in Gujarat had risked their lives to help rebuild the station.

During an event in Bhuj on May 26, PM Narendra Modi interacted with 13 of the surviving women, who are known as 'Virangana', and sought their blessings.

PM Modi said, as quoted by PTI news agency, "These women had rebuilt the runway in just 72 hours, which h...