Challenges to sovereignty will be dealt strongly, says Vice President

NILGIRIS: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said that any attempt to challenge India’s sovereignty would be dealt with strongly by our security forces.

Speaking at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington in The Nilgiris, Naidu said that India is facing multiple security challenges in a highly complex and unpredictable geo-political environment. “The armed forces should be fully prepared to handle any challenge and repel any security threat firmly as we are facing symmetric and asymmetric threats from both outside and within,” he said.

“No longer, wars are fought on battlefields. The hybrid nature of conflicts coupled with increasing use of drones and cyber warfare has brought a paradigm shift to the battlefield. Hence, our armed forces should develop capabilities in new and emerging areas of warfare such as information and cyber war. It should be our vision to develop the Indian military into a ‘futuristic force’, he said.

Calling for a deeper understanding of geostrategic and geopolitical compulsions, terrorism and climate change, which have added to the complexity of the security matrix, Naidu stressed on the need to constantly strengthen preparedness and draw up a robust strategy.

Emphasising the need to attain self-reliance in defence and aerospace technology, Venkaiah Naidu appreciated the government for taking several initiatives towards self-reliance in this crucial field. Stressing the need to make people more aware of the dedication and sacrifices of soldiers, he called for creating monuments for such heroes in educational institutions to infuse a sense of patriotism. Minister for Forests K Ramachandran, Lt Gen S Mohan, Commandant of the Defence Services Staff College accompanied the Vice President.