Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said here that it is the moral duty of every citizen to ensure the welfare of soldiers and their families and that industries and businesses can never flourish in a country where the national security is not strong.

In his address at the Armed Forces Flag Day Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conclave, he also asserted that the "welfare of soldiers, who ensure our national security, should not be the responsibility of only the government but it should be the duty of all".

Rajnath emphasised that industries and businesses can never flourish in a country where national security is not strong. Appreciating the support of big corporate donors in the last few years which has led to a substantial increase in the fund, he exhorted the fraternity to contribute even more for the well-being of soldiers and the nation at large. The event was organised by the department of ex-servicemen welfare, the Ministry of Defence.

The defence minister expressed gratitude to the retired as well as serving armed forces personnel whose valour and sacrifice safeguarded the sovereignty and integrity of the country.  He made special mention of a soldier's message enshrined on the Kohima War Memorial in Nagaland, which reads: "When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today."

Reiterating the government's commitment towards the welfare of the soldiers, he said a number of initiatives were taken in this direction.

Rajnath urged the private sector to provide employment opportunities to about 60,000 soldiers who retire at a very young age every year, saying that these disciplined ex-servicemen are capable of understanding the most complex technology and using it proficiently.

The defence minister also launched a new website for the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. The portal is an interactive and user-friendly portal developed to promote online contribution to the fund. He also released the anthem for this year's promotional campaign for the Armed Forces Flag Day.