India stands for peace, war last resort: PM Modi

Kargil, October 25

India stands for peace and has always considered war as not the first but last resort, but its armed forces have the strength and strategies to give a befitting reply to anyone who casts an evil eye on the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.

Addressing soldiers here on Diwali, Modi said India was against war, but also underscored the need for strength to ensure peace and asserted that its growing power boosted the chances of global peace and prosperity.

The whole world was looking at India which was a “balancing force”, he told the soldiers at the site of the armed forces’ heroic feats in the Kargil War in 1999 as India beat back Pakistani forces.

Modi invoked the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata to assert that it was in Indian tradition to avoid war be it in Lanka or Kurukshetra and the country stood for world peace.

The Prime Minister highlighted numerous measures taken by his government to boost economy and development, saying a country was safe only when its borders were secure, its economy robust and society full of self-confidence.

“The armed forces are pillars of India’s security,” he said.

Noting that India has become the fifth largest world economy from 10th in the last seven to eight years ago, Modi also spoke about the emergence of more than 80,000 startups and the ISRO’s record of simultaneously launching 36 satellites to assert that these feats fill soldiers with pride.

The Tricolour acted as a protective shield for Indians in the Ukraine war, he said.

In a swipe at previous governments, PM Modi said his dispensation had worked to remove the shortcomings of the past poor governance which constricted India’s capabilities and limited its development.

In his address, Modi recalled his visit to this frontier region, which is part of Ladakh that touches the border with China as well, during the war when the Indian military had “crushed the hood of terror”.

“There has not been a single war with Pakistan when Kargil has not flown the victory flag,” he said, adding that Diwali symbolised the “celebration of the end of terror”.

“I witnessed the Kargil war closely. It was my duty that had brought me to Kargil back then. There are many memories of that time when the sounds of victory were reverberating all around,” Modi said, continuing with his custom of spending time with soldiers in different parts of the country during Diwali. — PTI

Make in India

‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ is the most important aspect of the country’s security as it needs to have minimal reliance on foreign weapons and systems. Narendra Modi, prime minister

Tributes paid

PM Modi paid tributes to soldiers and asserted they had been his family for many years, and Diwali’s sweetness and brightness were in their midst.

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