Armed forces have always made the country proud by their valour: Vice President

New Delhi, 28 September (H.S): The Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu today urged the security forces to prepare themselves to dominate not only in a conventional war but also establish their superiority in the new and emerging areas of conflict such as information and cyber warfare along with the increasing use of robotics and drones in the battlefield.

He said the geo-strategic environment around us was turning unpredictable. ?We are facing both symmetric and asymmetric threats from outside and within,” he observed.

During an interaction with the officers and troops of 12 RAPID Division of Indian Army in Jaisalmer today, the Vice President termed peace as the prerequisite for progress of humanity and emphasized that our military has an onerous responsibility to ensure peace and stability on our borders and within the country. Praising the valour of the Indian Army, he said that any attempt to challenge India?s sovereignty by inimical forces would be dealt with strongly by our security forces.

Naidu, who is on a five-day tour to Rajasthan, today visited ?Jaisalmer War Museum? where he was received by Major General Ajeet Singh Gahlot, General Officer Commanding 12 RAPID. He praised the Indian Army?s Battle Axe Division (12 RAPID) for defending the nation and also guarding the borders in scorching Thar desert and in harsh climatic conditions. ?The nation is assured that any misadventure by an adversary will be given a befitting reply by the Indian Army,? he told the troops of 12 RAPID.

Reiterating that Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India, the Vice President said that by doing away with Article 370, which was a temporary provision only, Indian Parliament removed a major barrier between the people of J&K and the rest of India.

Expressing his happiness on visiting the ?Golden City- Jaisalmer?, Shri Naidu said that the city is known for its rich cultural legacy and military traditions. Recalling his visit to Laungewala Battle Site on Sunday, the Vice President said that he felt immensely proud on hearing the inspiring story of Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri and his men in the historic battle of Laungewala. Shri Naidu said that he turned emotional on seeing the very place where our soldiers sacrificed their lives for the motherland. He advised youngsters to visit the place to see and understand the adverse climatic conditions in which the brave soldiers guard our frontiers.

On the occasion of ?Swarnim Vijay Varsh? of India?s victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the Vice President paid rich tributes to all our valorous soldiers and wished a happy and successful tenure for all ranks of 12 RAPID Division posted in the Jaisalmer area.

Later in a Facebook post, the Vice President called upon people to visit the nearby war museums as they are a reminder of the many sacrifices that our courageous soldiers make to ensure that citizens sleep peacefully every night. During his visit, he paid tribute to the martyrs by laying a wreath at the memorial and wrote in his post, “When it comes to ensuring the sovereignty and protecting the territory of our nation, our Defence Forces have time and again proved their strength and mettle.”