By Aroonim Bhuyan
New Delhi/Dras, July 26. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has ruled out any dialogue with Pakistan unless it is centred on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), asserting that India would respond with overwhelming force to any future attempt to threaten its sovereignty.
Addressing the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorations in Dras on July 26, Singh said the success of Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s ability to respond to any “misadventure” by Pakistan with a severity beyond its expectations. He said any dialogue with Islamabad would be limited to the issue of PoK, which he described as an integral part of India under illegal occupation by Pakistan.
Singh said India’s armed forces had demonstrated through Operation Sindoor that every attempt to undermine the country’s sovereignty would invite a firm response. He also accused Pakistan of blurring the distinction between its military establishment and terrorist organisations, alleging that terrorism had become an instrument of state policy.
“Pakistan’s military not only shelters terrorist organisations but also works with them,” Singh said, adding that India had therefore made it clear during Operation Sindoor that it no longer regarded terrorists and the governments supporting them as separate entities.
Contrasting the trajectories of India and Pakistan 27 years after the Kargil War, the Defence Minister said the two countries had chosen fundamentally different paths. While India was advancing in areas such as chip design, startups, semiconductors, space technology, software, data centres and digital payments, he accused Pakistan of focusing on infiltration, terrorism, radicalisation and proxy warfare.
Singh warned that if Pakistan attempted to obstruct India’s development through “nefarious designs”, the country’s defence forces were prepared to deliver a befitting response.
He said the Central government had the political will to provide the armed forces with the freedom required to deal decisively with threats to national security. He expressed confidence that India’s military preparedness would deter adversaries from casting a hostile eye on the country.
Paying tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives during the 1999 Kargil War, Singh recalled the sacrifices of the country’s fallen heroes, including Param Vir Chakra awardees Captain Vikram Batra and Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey. He described Kargil Vijay Diwas as a source of inspiration for the younger generation and said the occasion highlighted the difference between individual achievement and national duty.
He said the Kargil War Memorial symbolised India’s unity, as the fallen soldiers came from different parts of the country. The memorial, he added, represented the strength of national unity in the face of threats.
Referring to ongoing conflicts in West Asia and between Russia and Ukraine, Singh said modern wars had tested not only military capabilities but also the resilience, patience and determination of nations. While asserting that India possessed a strong military, he stressed that national security was a collective responsibility.
Calling for a strong “nation first” spirit, discipline and a sense of duty, Singh said every citizen should have the courage and preparedness to support the country in times of crisis. He clarified that this did not mean every Indian had to become a soldier, but everyone should be mentally, morally and physically prepared to contribute to national defence when required.
Singh also linked the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) by 2047 with more than economic growth, saying it encompassed strategic strength, cultural confidence and social harmony. He said the vision could be achieved only by bringing the same commitment and sense of duty displayed by Kargil War heroes into every aspect of nation-building.
Highlighting the government’s focus on national security and the welfare of military personnel, Singh said the Kargil conflict had reinforced the need for constant vigilance along India’s borders. He said border infrastructure was being strengthened and the armed forces were being modernised to meet evolving security challenges and improve operational effectiveness.
The Defence Minister also highlighted India’s progress towards self-reliance in defence production, invoking Captain Vikram Batra’s famous phrase, “Yeh Dil Maange More”. He said India had moved from importing 65-70 percent of its defence equipment to manufacturing around 65 percent domestically.
He cited systems and platforms such as the indigenous Akash-Teer air defence control system, the next-generation Akash missile, INS Vikrant, Tejas light combat aircraft, Prachand light combat helicopter, Dhruv advanced light helicopter, Arjun main battle tank, Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher, Astra air-to-air missile and indigenous drones and counter-drone systems as examples of India’s growing defence capabilities.
Singh said the government would continue efforts to manufacture more advanced weapons, next-generation fighter aircraft, submarines and missiles domestically.
During the Kargil Vijay Diwas ceremony, Singh laid a wreath at the Cenotaph and observed a moment of silence in memory of the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice during Operation Vijay in 1999. Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth and senior military commanders, along with Kargil War veterans, gallantry awardees, Veer Naris, families of fallen soldiers and local residents, attended the commemorative ceremony.
Singh also witnessed a presentation titled ‘Gaurav Gatha’, inaugurated a Virtual Walkthrough Portal showcasing the history and legacy of the Kargil War, and paid homage at the Hut of Remembrance and Veer Bhoomi.
He later flagged in the ‘Shaurya Vijay Yatra’, a motorcycle rally organised as part of the Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorations. The rally had been flagged off from the National War Memorial in New Delhi on July 14.
In New Delhi, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth laid a wreath at the National War Memorial to honour the fallen soldiers. Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Vice Chief of the Army Staff Lt Gen Sandeep Jain also paid homage to the Kargil War heroes.
