Thursday, March 28, 2024
Advertisement
  1. You Are At:
  2. News
  3. Politics
  4. National
  5. Lack of war for last 40-50 years has diminished Indian Army's importance: Manohar Parrikar

Lack of war for last 40-50 years has diminished Indian Army's importance: Manohar Parrikar

New Delhi: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said that Army's importance has been diminished because the country hasn't gone to war  in last 40-50 years.The Minister, however, made it clear that he is not advocating

India TV News Desk India TV News Desk Updated on: June 15, 2015 17:49 IST
lack of war for 40 50 yrs has diminished army s importance
lack of war for 40 50 yrs has diminished army s importance parrikar

New Delhi: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said that Army's importance has been diminished because the country hasn't gone to war  in last 40-50 years.

The Minister, however, made it clear that he is not advocating for a war to restore people's respect for the Army, which he claimed got 'reduced during peacetime'.

"I have written to many chief ministers (over defence matters). Some have acted on it and at many places it (response) has ended. The primary reason for this is that we have not been to war for 40-50 years. I don't mean to say that we should go to war. I mean to say that without war the army's importance has diminished," he said while addressing a seminar in Jaipur on Sunday.

The Union Minister further said that jawans were facing immense difficulties because 'two generations of officers have retired without seeing a war'.

"A country that fails to protect its army cannot progress," he said.

Parrikar also said that 'zero tolerance' policy was the only way to eliminate terrorism.

"A recent incident has changed the national security scenario and there appears to be a change in the mindset of people," he said while making a reference to the recent cross-border operation in Myanmar.

Meanwhile, MoS for I&B Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who was also present at the event, sharply reacted to former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf's remarks that 'country's nuclear weapons were not meant for use on Shab-e-Baraat'.

"General Musharraf saab cannot enter his own house, how would he enter India," Rathore remarked sarcastically.

Advertisement

Read all the Breaking News Live on indiatvnews.com and Get Latest English News & Updates from Politics and National Section

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement