Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Operation Sindoor proved that the country creates its own destiny, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on September 19, hailing the veterans’ valour in the 1965 war. Interacting with the veterans to commemorate the diamond jubilee of India’s victory over Pakistan in 1965 at an event organised by the Indian Army at South Block, the Defence Minister said, “The cowardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam still fills our hearts with pain and grief. It shook us but didn’t break our morale. PM Modi took a pledge to teach terrorists a lesson they never could have imagined.”
Rajnath said, “Operation Sindoor showed our enemies how strong we are. The coordination and courage with which our forces executed the operation is proof that victory is no longer an exception for us; it has become our habit. We must always maintain this habit. Our resolve of defence modernisation, better training of soldiers and equipment upgrades are aimed to ensure that the forces never face a lack of resources,” he said, according to a Defence Ministry statement.
Crediting political will and leadership for victory in war, Rajnath said, “No war is fought only on the battlefield; victory in war is the result of the collective resolve of the entire nation.” He said in 1965, India managed to face the uncertainty and challenges, also due to the strong-willed leadership of the then PM Lal Bahadur Shastri. “He not only provided decisive political leadership but also raised the morale of the entire nation to greater heights. Even under adverse circumstances, we displayed unity and won the war,” said Rajnath Singh.