Jodhpur: “People in border areas provided full support to the Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor and this is testament to the fact that the security of the nation is not just the responsibility of the Government or the military, but of every citizen,” defence minister Rajnath Singh said in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, on Monday, during the inauguration of a Defence and Sports Academy.
The country can face any difficulty and become stronger, if citizens, especially the youth, remain aware and dedicated towards their duties, Singh said, while commending the zeal and determination demonstrated by the youth during the four-day military operation following the Pahalgam terror, in which 26 innocents lost their lives.
The defence minister stressed that India does not discriminate on the basis of caste and religion. While the terrorists killed innocent people in Pahalgam on the basis of their ‘dharma’, the Indian Armed Forces destroyed those who provided shelter to terrorists based on their ‘karma’. He described the operation as the identity of a New India.
Underscoring the importance of initiatives such as the Defence and Sports Academy, Singh asserted that the amalgamation of defence, education and sports is crucial for building a secure and strong nation.
“Education provides knowledge while defence ensures security. Qualities like perseverance, discipline, patience and determination are as important to a soldier as they are to a sportsperson. Students who are products of this confluence of defence, education and sports can make the country proud both at national and international levels,” he said, exhorting the citizens to build a nation which is at the forefront of the world in knowledge, culture and power,” he said.
While noting the vital contribution by soldiers from the state of Rajasthan in protecting the country, the defence minister pointed out that the region is not producing officers in the same proportion as jawans. He urged the people to join the Armed Forces as officers, and contribute in further bolstering national security.
Union minister of culture and tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presided over the function with other dignitaries present on the occasion.