GUWAHATI: Speaking from a place not far from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that nobody should construe India’s peace-loving nature as its weakness.
“We see the emergence of conflicts in the world but India has always been against war. This has been India’s policy. India is that country which has sent the message that the whole world is one family. Lord Rama has taught us that wars should not be fought to lord over other countries and states,” Singh said while addressing a gathering at Siyom Bridge in Siang district.
He added, “Lord Buddha also taught us non-violence. This is the reason why India never initiated a war or grabbed an inch of land of another country." He went on to say "but if this is construed as our weakness, I want to say that we are not only a worshipper of peace, we are also a worshipper of power.”
Singh was in the frontier state to inaugurate 28 infrastructure projects worth Rs 724 crore. The visit comes less than a month after the clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers at Yangtse in the Tawang sector of the LAC.
The Defence Minister said keeping in mind the changing world and time, it is imperative for India to remain alert.
He lauded the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for playing a vital role in the mountainous region and the Northeast.
A defence statement said Singh inaugurated 22 bridges, three roads and three other miscellaneous projects. These were constructed under challenging weather conditions in locations with inhospitable terrain.
Talking about the projects he inaugurated, he said, “These are strategic and a part of the Centre’s development initiatives.” He also said, “I am not here to send a message to anyone.”
“These critical strategic projects were executed in a record time and in a single working season using state-of-the-art technology. Of these, eight have been constructed in Ladakh, four in Jammu and Kashmir, five in Arunachal, three each in Sikkim, Punjab, and Uttarakhand, and two in Rajasthan,” the statement added.
It also said that the highlight was the 100-meter-long “class 70 steel arch superstructure” Siyom Bridge on the Along-Yinkiong Road over Siyom River.
“This signature bridge is of strategic importance to our defence forces and will facilitate speedy induction of troops, heavy equipment and mechanised vehicles to forward areas of Upper Siang district, Tuting and Yinkiong region. It will also boost the region’s socio-economic development,” the statement said.