Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on October 24, visited the forward posts in Arunachal Pradesh and carried out first-hand on-ground assessment of the operational preparedness of the Armed Forces there. He interacted with the troops deployed in the frontline locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and celebrated Dussehra with them.
The Defence Minister also expressed gratitude to the unyielding spirit, unwavering commitment and unparalleled courage of the troops, who are deployed on the borders in tough conditions, but always ensure that the nation and its people are safe. The entire nation is proud of the Armed Forces and is standing with them, he said.
Further, the Defence Minister performed Shastra Puja with the troops at Tawang, where he reiterated that Dussehra signifies the victory of good over evil. In his address, he described the righteousness and dharma of the brave Armed Forces personnel as the living testament to the ethos of the festival of Vijayadashmi.
In view of the current global scenario, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that there is no option but to bolster the country’s security apparatus, underlining that all efforts are being made by the Government to strengthen the nation’s military prowess through indigenous production of defence equipment.
“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, giant strides have been made towards ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence. Earlier, we used to rely on imports to upgrade our military. But today, a number of major weapons and platforms are being manufactured within the country,” he said.
He further added that foreign companies are being encouraged to share their technology and produce the equipment in India with domestic industry. In 2014, the value of defence exports was about Rs 1,000 crore, but today India is exporting defence equipment worth thousands of crores.
The Defence Minister also visited the Tawang War Memorial, where he laid a wreath and offered tributes to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice during the 1962 war. He also visited the 4 Corps Headquarters at Tezpur in Assam. During the visit, he reviewed the operational readiness of the formation, which is deployed in one of the easternmost parts of the country.
The Defence Minister was briefed on the infrastructure development along the LAC and the employment of cutting-edge military equipment and technology to enhance the operational efficiency of the troops deployed in the frontline. He commended the stellar work and yeoman services being rendered by all ranks of the Corps under challenging conditions.