Says Op. Sindoor India’s befitting reply to Pahalgam attack
New Delhi:Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday declared that while the terrorists killed innocent people in Pahalgam on the basis of their religion, the Indian armed forces destroyed those who had provided shelter to the terrorists based on their “deeds”.
Saying that Indian forces gave a “befitting reply” to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, Mr Singh also lauded the people of border areas for supporting the administration and the armed forces during the military operation to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack.
The defence minister said after the incident, he called all the service chiefs and asked if they were ready for the operation.
“The chiefs of all three armed forces unanimously replied, ‘We are ready for any operation’. This is India. The Prime Minister gave the necessary directives,” he said. The defence minister was speaking at the inauguration of a Defence and Sports Academy in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
“India does not discriminate based on caste or religion. But the terrorists killed people after identifying their religion. Our soldiers did not kill the terrorists based on religion but because of their deeds,” he said.
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts in the education sector, Mr Singh said a significant transformation had taken place over the years that will help the country achieve new heights.
“There is a considerable difference between the education of our time and today’s education. I had also studied in a village primary school. When I used to look at the globe on the principal’s table, it felt like a magical ball,” he said.
He attributed the changes to decades of hard work, saying: “In recent years, there have been significant changes in education. Today, our children can access information on the Internet. Such a huge transformation has taken place.”
He quoted former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, saying: “No one becomes great with a small mind. No one stands tall with a broken heart.” Mr Singh added: “Imagine the mind as a circle. As you expand its circumference, your experience of happiness increases in proportion. In the end, you will attain supreme bliss.”
Stressing the importance of initiatives like the Defence and Sports Academy, Mr Singh said the amalgamation of defence, education and sports was crucial to building a secure and strong nation. “Education provides knowledge while defence ensures security. Qualities like perseverance, discipline, patience and determination are as important to a soldier as they are to a sportsperson. Students who are products of this confluence of defence, education and sports can make the country proud both at national and international levels,” he said, exhorting the citizens to build a nation which is at the forefront of the world in knowledge, culture and power.
While the defence minister noted the vital contribution of the state’s soldiers in protecting the country, he pointed out that the region was not producing officers in the same proportion as jawans. He urged the people to join the armed forces as officers, and contribute in further bolstering national security.
