New Delhi, Aug 29 (FN Bureau) The changing equation in Afghanistan is a big challenge which has forced India to think about its strategy, and the QUAD is one of such measures, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday. The Defence Minister, in an over an hour long talk on defence reforms in shifting security paradigms, said world’s military powers, trade, communication, economy, and political equations are changing rapidly, and India needs to stay a step ahead in making its strategy. He also launched an attack on Pakistan and China, without naming either of the countries. The Minister said India has a new “pro-active” approach in tackling terrorism, and it can also go on the soil of another country to fight terror. He said India is not untouched from the global changes.
“Keeping our defence preparedness a step ahead in proportion to such a situation is not an achievement but a necessity,” the minister said. In the backdrop of Afghanistan being taken over by Taliban, Rajnath Singh said: “The changing equations in Afghanistan is a big challenge. This situation has forced us to think about our strategy… I will not go into details but formation of QUAD is a part of the strategy”. QUAD is Quadrilateral Security Dialogue between India, US, Japan and Australia. He launched an attack on Pakistan without naming the country, and said India has faced several challenges since independence, mentioning the 1965 and 1971 wars among them. “When our neighboring country realised that it cannot fight a front-war with us, it resorted to proxy war and made terrorism an integral part of its state policy. This was a major paradigm shift in the challenges faced by our country. Keeping these changes in mind, we made major changes to our security related policies. Under a new dynamic, we developed a pro-active attitude against the menace of terrorism,” Rajnath Singh said targeting Pakistan.
He said India’s approach towards tackling terrorism is pro-active now, and cited 2016 surgical strike, and 2019 strike on a terror camp in Balakot as examples. “India will finish terrorism on its own soil, and if needed, India will also go on the soil of another country to finish terrorism. This defines the new era of national security in India,” the minister said. The Minister also said there has been peace at the Line of Control where a cease fire is being followed, adding that the cease fire was being adhered to only because of India’s strength. While the Minister in his address did not name China, but made a reference to the 2020 Galwan Valley incident. He said unilateral attempt to change the status-quo at the Northern border was dealt with a new dynamic. “At the northern sector, there was a one-sided attempt to change the status quo on the border. Our soldiers displayed bravery as well as restraint, when required, to thwart enemy plans… The way soldiers have displayed courage under Army Chief General Naravane is commendable,” he said. Singh also stressed that India has never been expansionist, and has never captured “even an inch of land” belonging to any other country. The Defence Minister said that India’s efforts to update its security strategy include futuristic reforms, structural reforms and focus on self-reliance.