Intent of infiltrators hasn't changed since 1999 Kargil conflict: Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the "intent of infiltrators" has not changed since the 1999 Kargil conflict and asserted that the Indian Army
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the "intent of infiltrators" has not changed since the 1999 Kargil conflict and asserted that the Indian Army is "fully prepared" to meet any such challenge. He also said the government has placed special emphasis on modernising the armed forces so that they get the latest equipment and the best training. Singh made the remarks while addressing Army personnel at a Shaurya Bhoj in Dras. He arrived there in the evening to attend Shaurya Sandhya at the Kargil War Memorial as part of a two-day programme marking the anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas. Read Full Story Kargil Vijay Diwas marks the culmination of Operation Vijay on July 26, 1999.
The operation was launched by the Army to recapture Indian territories in Kargil district that had been occupied by Pakistani troops. "We have to remember that even today's challenges have not reduced; the intent of infiltrators hasn't changed, and even today they adopt tools like a proxy war or infiltration," Singh said in a veiled reference to Pakistan. "I am fully assured that our Army is fully prepared for any such challenges," he said. The Defence Minister said, "This is our century, the coming time is ours," and added that with the emphasis on Aatmanirbharta, "I am assured that the Indian armed forces will become the best in the world." He also saluted the armed forces and the valour of soldiers.
"Today we are breathing free and living with our heads held high, as our soldiers in Kargil, despite plummeting mercury and dipping oxygen levels, have not lowered their guard," Singh said. He added that the pride he felt in Dras on the occasion could not be expressed in words. Singh also said that as long as Indian soldiers possess invisible inner strength and a sense of nationalistic sentiment, "no force of the world will dare to cast an evil eye on India." Referring to Army traditions, Singh said he had, over the past few years, got the opportunity to closely observe many of them, and that the one that touched him most was Bada Khana.
He said it is the only occasion when a jawan and an officer sit together and have the same meal, showing an excellent sense of teamwork. "Your ability to rise above the limitations found in society is your true strength. And this strength alone enables us to win wars like the Kargil one," he said. Ends
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