Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that India has become a strong and self-reliant nation with “well-equipped defence forces to give a befitting reply to anyone who tries to cast an evil eye on the country.”
Speaking at an event in Jammu to commemorate Kargil Vijay Diwas, Singh paid glowing tributes to those who laid their lives for the country in the 1999 Kargil War and met family members of martyrs.
“It was the spirit of national pride at the core of their values that protected the unity and integrity of India,” the minister said.
He asserted that the Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has taken a series of steps to develop a self-reliant defence ecosystem that provides indigenous state-of-the-art weapons to the Armed Forces to fight all kinds of future wars.
“The Kargil war underlined the dire need to achieve jointness and self-reliance in the defence sector. It has been our endeavour to achieve these goals to remain prepared for future challenges. Setting up of Joint Theatre Commands and reforms to achieve self-reliance in defence are the steps taken in that direction,” he explained.
“After tasting defeats in direct wars of 1965 and 1971, Pakistan adopted the path of Proxy War. For over two decades, it has tried to ‘Bleed India with Thousand Cuts’. But, time and again, our brave soldiers have shown that no one can disturb the unity, integrity and sovereignty of India,” the defence minister added, assuring the nation that the Armed Forces are ready to face all future challenges.
The defence minister also made special mention of the support extended by the people of J&K to the Armed Forces, commending their commitment to safeguard the interests of the Nation like all other states.
He stated that J&K will always be an integral part of India and the Government is ensuring that the Union Territory, like the rest of the country, touches newer heights of progress. Terming Article 370 as an artificial legal barrier, he asserted that its abrogation brought a new dawn of hope to the dreams and aspirations of the people of J&K, especially the youth. The decision opened new avenues for the welfare of the people and the Union Territory is now progressing at a much faster rate, he said.
On PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan, the Raksha Mantri stated that these areas are illegally occupied by Pakistan and a resolution to free it has been unanimously passed in Parliament of India. A number of serving Armed Forces personnel as well as veterans, including Param Vir Chakra awardee Captain Bana Singh, were among those present on the occasion.
Sharing his views on the numerous challenges faced by India post-independence, Singh said, the entire area of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh became the 'Main War Theatre' during 1948, 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1999 wars, when enemies tried to cast an evil eye, but whose plans were thwarted by the gallant Indian soldiers.
"In 1962 China captured our area in Ladakh, with Pandit Nehru as our PM. I will not question his intentions. Intentions can be good but the same does not apply to policies. However, today's India is one of the most powerful countries in the world," he said.
He also paid respects to the Indian soldiers who displayed unmatched bravery during the Galwan valley incident and ensured that the Indian tricolour continues to fly high.
