Striking a tough posture against China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India is always in favour of peace but its soldiers are capable of giving a befitting reply if any “superpower” hurts the country’s pride. His stern remarks came against the backdrop of the ongoing face-off between India and China in eastern Ladakh.
Underlining the point that India is a peace-loving country and does not want conflict, Rajnath, however, said, “We don’t want war and we are in favour of protecting everyone’s security but I want to say this in clear terms that if any superpower wants to hurt our pride then our soldiers are capable of giving them a befitting reply.”
Making this point, he also reiterated that India has always maintained that it wants peace and friendly ties with its neighbours.
“It always wanted peace and friendly ties with its neighbours because it’s in our blood and culture,” he said at the fifth Armed Forces Veterans’ Day at the Headquarters Training Command of the Indian Air Force in Bengaluru.
On the ongoing tension at the border, Rajnath said the Indian soldiers displayed exemplary courage and patience and if that can be narrated then every Indian will feel proud.
He hailed the Indian soldiers who showed extraordinary courage in “eliminating terrorists on the Pakistan soil”. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat was present on the occasion.
The Defence Minister’s observations came at a time when several rounds of military and diplomatic-level talks between India and China have so far failed to break the logjam.
The Corps Commanders of the two armies have met eight times in the last few months to find ways to disengage and de-escalate. Similarly, the diplomatic-level talks are also on but no headway was made.
At present, more than one lakh troops from both sides are facing each other at the 1,700-km long Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. The Indian Army has ensured that its troops now manning the border in temperature dipping to minus 30 degrees are adequately provided with winter clothing and prefabricated heated huts to withstand the cold.