Giving a stern warning in the wake of the Pathankot airbase terrorist attack, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said here on Monday that individuals or organisations behind these incidents should be inflicted the “same pain” and India reserves the right to do so at a time and place of its choice.
In an apparent reference to Pakistan without naming it, Parrikar said, “I always believe that anyone who harms you, he understand the same language. How, when and where should be your choice. If someone is attacking the country, an individual or organisation, I purposely used the words individual and organisation, should also feel the pain of such activities. Until the pain can be transferred to them they will not understand,” he said.
Making these assertions while addressing a seminar organised by the Army, the Minister went on to say, “I am of the opinion, it should not be taken as the Government’s thinking, and always believe that if anyone harms you, he understands the same language.” Asked to elaborate, Parrikar later said, “Basic principle is that until we give them pain, whoever they may be, until then, such incidents will not reduce.”
On the Pathankot attack, he said the country was proud of its seven soldiers who laid down their lives but he is pained by the loss. “I don’t appreciate it. I have said that it is time we tell our soldiers that it is inevitable that we will lose some soldiers, and in this incident we lost one person in actual combat. We should tell them to think of the concept of taking life of your enemy, enemy of the country, instead
of giving your life. This is an important aspect.”
He said that while sacrifice is respected, what the nation needs is to neutralise the enemy. Asked if that means there is a change in policy from the previous UPA Government, Parrikar commented, “If someone comes and hammers you, should you keep quietIJ
Was that the policyIJ What I am saying is basically that history tells you that those who damage you, if they don’t realise what pain they inflict, then they don’t change.”
Observing that recent incidents like Pathankot indicated that adversaries were not only willing to sacrifice lives but also using modern technology and the security establishment will have to calibrate its responses to this phenomenon accordingly.
Referring to the dangers posed by social media, Parrikar said perpetrators were spreading misinformation through it. He made these remarks in reference to london metro attack where the militants used social media to spread misinformation.