On October 24, 2023, the Defence minister of India, Rajnath Singh visited forward posts in the extreme northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh where he interacted with troops deployed along the frontline locations at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and celebrated Dusshera with them. He also carried out on ground assessment of the operational preparedness of the armed forces there, said a statement from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Visit to Tawang
Rajnath Singh performed the Shastra Puja with the Indian Armed Forces personnel at the remote outpost of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. He said Dusshera or Vijayadashami is a festival that signifies the victory of the good against the evil forces and described the righteousness ansd dharma of the Indian Armed Forces as a living testament to the ethos of Vijayadashami, the statement read.
He also visited the Tawang War Memorial, where he laid a wreath and offered tributes to those who laid down their lives during the India-China War of 1962. Apart from this, he also visited Four Corps at Tezpur, Assam which also houses the Sukhoi-30 MKI squadron. The Defence Minister was briefed about the infrastructure development that was undergoing at the contentious Line of Actual Control (LAC), especially the eastern and norther sectors of the demarcated border.
Self-Reliance in Defence
“There is no option but to strengthen the security apparatus amid the current global scenario, government ensuring that the all-major weapons and platforms are made in India as her addressed the troops. He also spoke about Atmanirbharta in Defence (Self Reliance) while stating that In the past, India used to rely on import to upgrade the military. “But today a number of major weapons and platforms are being manufactured in the country.
Foreign Companies are being encouraged to share their technology and produce the equipment in India with the domestic industry. In 2014, the value of the defence exports was about 1000 crore, but today we are exporting defence equipment worth thousands of crores,” he said.
Global Recognition of Indian Valor
Talking about his visit to Italy, he referred to his visit to the Montone Memorial, in the Perugia province that has been built to honour the valor of Naik Yashwant Ghatge of the Maratha Light Infantry (MLI) and other Indian soldiers who fought in the Italian campaign to liberate Montone in the Second World War. He stated not just Indians, but Italians people and citizens is recognizing the bravery of Indian troops globally according to the statement.
Significance of Shastra Pooja
Shastra Poojan, also called “Ayudha Pooja” is a ceremony in which weapons are worshipped. The occasion comes at the culmination of the Navratri Festival dedicated to the divine mother goddess Durga and her nine forms. The Kshatriyas all across India celebrate and venerate
their weapons on this day. On this day, Devi Durga killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura and it is believed that Bhagwan Ramchandra achieved victory over Ravana, the ten headed demon.
The Rajputs in particular worship their swords, daggers, shield, spears, and horses on this day. For them it is a highly prestigious occasion. Other warlike communities such as Marathas and Nairs also follow this tradition. Though the weapons like swords are now obsolete, the Indian Armed Forces worship modern weapons platforms like artillery, tanks, rifles, fighter aircrafts.
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