PolicyDefence
Rajnath Singh meets Air Warriors at Bagdogra, calls morale 'the greatest weapon'
On Diwali eve the Defence Minister told personnel near the Siliguri Corridor that trust among local people and a technology-ready force are both part of border security.
Key points
- Rajnath Singh met Indian Air Force personnel at Bagdogra on Saturday, Diwali eve, and gave them sweets.
- He told the troops that "morale is the greatest weapon" and urged them to win the trust of local people near the border.
- He said the forces must become more technology-driven, with drones, anti-drone systems and cyber skills growing in importance.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Indian Air Force personnel at Bagdogra on Saturday, the eve of Diwali, and handed out sweets to the “Air Warriors” stationed at the airfield in north Bengal. An airman sang a song for him during the visit.
Addressing the personnel, Singh turned first to conduct and the army’s relations with civilians in a border district. “Your conduct, your uniform, your language and your restraint shape the army’s image in the minds of local people,” he said. “The more you connect with local people, the weaker the enemy’s plots will become.”
Bagdogra sits near the Siliguri Corridor, the narrow strip of northern West Bengal that links the rest of India to the northeastern states, with China, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh all close by.
Morale and machines
Singh said technology alone does not win. “No matter how advanced technology is, if our soldiers lack discipline and courage, it is useless,” he said. “Among the challenges we face today, morale is the greatest weapon.” It grows, he added, “when you know that your country is with you, your leadership is with you.”
He also said the forces are learning to operate drones and to understand cyber security, and that they must become more technology-driven. He praised Indian start-ups and industry for building drones, anti-drone systems and equipment for soldiers, which he tied to self-reliance. He is reported to have warned of drone swarms and cyber attacks as part of modern asymmetric warfare, and to have acknowledged the personnel who stay on duty through festivals.
The Bagdogra stop is part of a Diwali tour that also takes him to Army troops at Sukna, near Siliguri, and on Sunday to the Sherathang War Memorial in Sikkim.