Indian forces will deliver crushing response in case of misadventure
*Conspiracy to change demography, intruders snatching locals livelihood
*Sudershan Chakra defence project to shield India from security threats
NEW DELHI, Aug 16: In a clear and stern warning to Pakistan from the ramparts of Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said terrorists and those providing them safe haven will be treated alike and that Indian Armed Forces will deliver a “crushing” response to the enemy in case of any future misadventure.
Delivering his address on the country’s 79th Independence Day yesterday, Modi, referring to Operation Sindoor, said the Indian military punished the enemies beyond their imagination and that India will no longer tolerate Islamabad’s “nuclear blackmail” and will respond appropriately. The remarks came days after Pakistan army chief field marshal Asim Munir’s threat of using nuclear weapons.
The Prime Minister also justified New Delhi’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) following the Pahalgam terror attack as he described the over six-decade-old pact as “unjust and one-sided”, asserting that “blood and water” will not flow together.
Explaining the impact of Operation Sindoor, Modi said Pakistan is still “sleepless” and that the devastation in that country has been so huge that every day brings new revelations and fresh information.
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India responded to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 with several punitive diplomatic and economic measures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor to target terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, triggering four days of hostilities that ended with an understanding between the two sides on May 10.
“Our nation has endured terrorism for many decades. The heart of the country has been pierced time and again. Now, we have established a new normal: those who nurture and harbour terrorism, and those who empower terrorists, will no longer be seen as separate,” he said during his 103-minute address.
“They are all equal enemies of humanity, with no distinction between them.”
Highlighting India’s “new normal” in dealing with cross-border terrorism, Modi said the armed forces accomplished something that had not happened in decades as they reduced terrorist headquarters to dust and turned terror infrastructure into ruins in response to the Pahalgam attack.
“I feel great pride that today I have the opportunity to salute the brave warriors of Operation Sindoor from the ramparts of the Red Fort. Our courageous soldiers punished the enemies beyond anything they could have imagined.”
“On April 22, terrorists crossed the border and committed a massacre in Pahalgam, killing people after asking their religion, shooting husbands in front of their wives, and executing fathers in front of their children. The entire nation was filled with outrage, and the whole world was shocked by such a massacre.” Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed in the attack.
Modi said Operation Sindoor was the expression of that outrage, adding the government gave the military complete freedom to decide on the strategy, targets, and timing of India’s response to the Pahalgam attack.
“And our military accomplished something that had not happened in decades. Penetrating hundreds of kilometres into enemy territory, they reduced terrorist headquarters to dust and turned terrorist headquarters into ruins.”
The Prime Minister said India has now decided that it will no longer tolerate nuclear threats.
“The nuclear blackmail that has gone on for so long will no longer be endured. If our enemies continue this attempt in the future, our army will decide on its own terms, at the time of its choosing, in the manner it deems fit, and target the objectives it selects and we will act accordingly. We will give a fitting and crushing response,” he added.
The Prime Minister noted that waters of rivers originating from India are “irrigating the fields of our enemies, while the farmers and the soil of our own nation remain thirsty.”
“This (IWT) was an agreement that has caused unimaginable loss to our farmers for the past seven decades. Now, the water that rightfully belongs to Bharat will be reserved solely for Bharat, solely for the farmers of Bharat,” he said.
“The people of the country now fully understand how unjust and one-sided the Indus Waters Treaty has been.”
“The form of the Indus agreement that Bharat has endured for decades will not be tolerated any longer. This agreement is unacceptable to us in the interest of our farmers, and in the interest of the nation,” Modi said.
Earlier, two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force flew over the Red Fort and showered flower petals. One chopper carried the tricolour while the other displayed a banner of Operation Sindoor.
Modi launched a frontal attack on the Opposition citing issues like illegal infiltration, disruptions in Parliament, the Indus Waters Treaty, and what he termed as “failures” of previous governments to carry out various economic reforms.
Modi sought to foil the Opposition attack on his Government over issues of welfare of backwards, language diversity and GST reforms.
At the same time, he also sought the Opposition’s help in initiating policy decisions that were aimed at taking the country forward.
The Prime Minister’s announcement of next generation GST reforms from Diwali this year came amidst constant criticism by the opposition parties, which dubbed it as “Gabbar Singh Tax”.
Modi also showered praise on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the BJP, which the opposition termed as “most troubling” and a “breach” of the spirit of constitutional and secular republic.
The Congress alleged that RSS’ praise by PM Modi at the Independence Day function was a desperate attempt to appease the Sangh in the run-up to his 75th birthday.
“The PM was tired today. Soon he will retire,” Congress’ Jairam Ramesh said, slamming Modi’s speech as “stale, hypocritical, insipid”.
In his speech, Prime Minister Modi hailed 100 years of RSS as a “very proud and glorious” journey of the “world’s biggest NGO” and lauded all its volunteers for their dedicated service to the nation.
The Prime Minister warned people of a premeditated conspiracy to change the country’s demography through illegal infiltration and said no nation can tolerate intruders, as he announced a high-powered demography mission to tackle the problem.
“Today I want to alert the country about a concern, a challenge. Under a well-thought out conspiracy, the demography of the country is being changed. Seeds of a new crisis are being sown.
“These ‘ghuspaithiye’ (intruders) are snatching the livelihood of the youth of my country, these ‘ghuspaithiye’ are targeting the sisters and daughters of my country, this will not be tolerated. These ‘ghuspaithiye’ are misleading the innocent tribals and grabbing their land. This country will not tolerate this,” Modi said.
Recalling the dark days of the Emergency, Modi said when we talk about democracy and independent India, “then our Constitution is the best lighthouse for us, our centre of inspiration”.
“But, 50 years ago, the Constitution of India was strangled. The Constitution of India was stabbed in the back, the country was turned into a prison, an Emergency was imposed.
“It has been 50 years since the Emergency, no generation of the country should ever forget this sin of murdering the Constitution. The sinners who killed the Constitution of India should not be forgotten and we should move forward by strengthening our dedication towards the Constitution, it is our inspiration,” he said.
Referring to frequent disruptions in Parliament, Modi said the Government amended several laws to simplify lives of common people and keep public interest first.
“We have gone to Parliament to amend dozens of laws to simplify them, always placing the interests of the public first. This time too, amidst the ruckus, the news may not have reached people about a very significant reform that has taken place in the Income Tax Act. We have decided to abolish more than 280 sections,” he said.
Modi announced a 10-year project to develop an indigenous defence shield to protect India’s vital military and civilian installations and deliver a decisive response in case of any enemy threat, a move that came amid concerns over twin security challenges from Pakistan and China.
He also hinted at New Delhi’s resolve to reduce dependence on foreign technologies for military platforms as he called for developing jet engines within the country for India’s fighter aircraft.
Though the Prime Minister did not elaborate on the defence system named “Sudarshan Chakra”, experts said it could be on the lines of Israel’s Iron Dome all-weather air-defence system to deal with stand-off weapons and other aerial threats.
The security shield that Modi has announced will definitely comprise an anti-ballistic missile system as well as capabilities for offensive strikes, an expert said.
In his remarks, the prime minister, elaborating on the need for adequate security for national development, said indifference towards security is not an option.
“By 2035, all the important places of the country, which include strategic as well as civilian areas like hospitals, railways, any centre of faith will be given a complete security cover through new platforms of technology,” he said.
Modi said the “security shield” should keep expanding and every citizen of the country should feel safe.
The Prime Minister linked the mission to Krishna’s Sudarshan Chakra, highlighting how India draws inspiration from its rich cultural and mythological heritage to guide modern defence innovations.
“Whatever technology comes to attack us, our technology should prove to be better than that, and hence, in the coming 10 years, till 2035, I want to expand this national security shield, strengthen it, modernise it and hence, take inspiration from Lord Shri Krishna,” he said.
The announcement on the new defence system came days after Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir reportedly hinted at targeting Indian assets along the border, including Reliance Industries Limited’s Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat, in case of any future military confrontation between the two countries.
Announcing the launch of “Mission Sudarshan Chakra”, Modi said it will be aimed at neutralising enemy threat and enhancing India’s offensive capabilities.
“This mission Sudarshan Chakra, a powerful weapon system, will not only neutralise the enemy’s attack but will also hit back at the enemy many times more,” he said, adding that some basic points for the mission have been decided.
“We want to take it forward with great intensity in the coming 10 years. Firstly, this entire modern system, its research, development, its manufacturing should be done in our country itself, it should be done with the talent of the youngsters of our country, it should be made by the people of our country,” he said.
“Secondly, there will be a system which will calculate the possibilities of the future in terms of warfare and work out the strategy of Plus One,” he added.
The Prime Minister also spoke on the power of the “Sudarshan Chakra”.
“It was very precise, it went wherever it had to go and came back to Shri Krishna. We will move forward towards developing a system for targeted, precise action through this Sudarshan Chakra,” he said.
Modi pledged to take the mission forward with “great commitment” for the security of the nation and the safety of the citizens.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the Indian military’s technological dominance that reflected during Operation Sindoor.
“Pakistan has attacked our military bases, our airbases, our sensitive places, our places of worship, our citizens with missiles and drones in countless numbers,” he said, adding that those attacks were foiled by India’s brave soldiers and its technology.
“The mastery we have achieved today needs to be continuously upgraded,” he said, noting that this mission underscores India’s commitment to strategic autonomy, ensuring rapid, precise and powerful responses to any threat.
The Prime Minister urged Indian innovators and youngsters to develop jet engines within the country, ensuring that future defence technology is entirely home-grown and self-reliant.
Modi said that India is rapidly building 10 new nuclear reactors and plans to increase its nuclear energy capacity tenfold by 2047.
Modi said the Government has also opened the doors of the nuclear sector for the private sector as part of reforms to increase the share of green energy in the country’s electricity generation capacities.
“In the field of nuclear energy, 10 new reactors are progressing rapidly. By 2047, when the nation will complete 100 years of independence — the year we have set as the target for achieving the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ — we are moving forward with the resolve to increase our nuclear energy capacity more than tenfold,” Modi said. (PTI)
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