Dras (Ladakh): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the 'intent of infiltrators' has not changed since the 1999 Kargil conflict and the Indian Army is 'fully prepared' for any challenge.
"We have to remember that even today challenges have not reduced; the intent of infiltrators hasn't changed, and even today they use tactics such as a proxy war or infiltration," he said in a veiled reference to Pakistan.
"I am fully assured that our Army is fully prepared for any such challenges," Singh said.
In his address to Army personnel at a Shaurya Bhoj hosted in Dras on Saturday, he also said the government has laid special emphasis on modernisation of the armed forces, and the endeavour is to ensure that the military gets the latest equipment and the best training.
The defence minister said "this is our century, the coming time is ours, and given the emphasis on Aatmanirbharta, I am assured that Indian armed forces will become the best in the world."
Singh arrived in Dras on Saturday evening to attend Shaurya Sandhya, an event held at the Kargil War Memorial as part of a two-day programme to mark the anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorates the culmination of Operation Vijay on 26 July 1999. The operation was started by the Army to regain Indian territories in Kargil district captured by Pakistani troops.
In his address, he also saluted the armed forces and the valour of the soldiers.
"Today we are breathing free and living with our heads held high, as our soldiers in Kargil, despite plummeting mercury and dipping oxygen levels, have not lowered their guard," Singh said.
Singh said the pride he felt in Dras on the occasion could not be expressed in words.
He said he was confident that till Indian soldiers possess the invisible inner strength and a sense of nationalistic sentiment, 'no force of the world will dare to cast an evil eye on India.'
"In the last few years, I have had the opportunity to see closely many of the traditions of the Army, and one that touches the heart the most is Bada Khana," the minister said.
This is because it is the only occasion when a jawan and an officer sit together and have the same meal, depicting an excellent sense of teamwork, he said.
"Your ability to rise above the limitations found in society is your true strength. And this strength alone enables us to win wars like the Kargil one," Singh said.
