New Delhi, March 19 (IANS). Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday that the Modi government at the Center removed the biggest obstacle ‘Article 370’ without firing a single firing and merged Jammu and Kashmir in the country. This was done peacefully with full security keeping all the stakeholders in mind.
Rajnath Singh said during the Major Bob Khathing Memorial program held in Delhi that the government is focusing on administrative reforms. The difference between people and the government has been reduced through ‘minimum government, maximum governance’ and ‘good governance’.
He said that Major Bob Khathing had involved Tawang efficiently in India without firing a single bullet. He appreciated not only Tawang, but also the role of Major Khathing in the integration, development and reconstruction of the entire Northeast region, saying that what he did for the Northeast is similar to the work done by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the national level.
The Defense Minister said that the government’s foreign policy is based on the diplomatic skills of personalities like Major Khathing. Today India is maintaining a balance between its ‘hard power and soft power’ amidst the uncertainties prevailing in the multi -polar world. It is a matter of great pride that India has strengthened its global status. A new, strong and organized India has emerged in front of the world. There was a time when India was not taken seriously on international forums, but the world listens when we speak today. It is inspired by the ideals of Major Khathing.
Rajnath Singh stressed the need to be organized to create ‘developed India’ by 2047. Accepting the role of the Northeast in the development journey of the country, he said that the government has always given priority to the development of this region. These include the infrastructure projects at an altitude of 13,000 feet, which connects Tezpur in Assam to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. In addition, the opening of the Arunachal Frontier Highway will play a major role in increasing the contact in the entire northeastern region, especially the border areas. This highway, about two thousand kilometers long, will serve as a strategic and economic asset for India.
He said that the result of the development projects launched by the government is that the Northeast is moving forward on the path of rapid development and violent incidents have decreased significantly. He referred to ’52 sites travelable’ in 2025 released by New York Times, in which Assam is ranked fourth.
Describing Major Khathing as the great son of India, the Defense Minister said that he left his indelible mark in the history of the country through bravery and skills in the field of diplomacy in the battlefield. It is the responsibility of the people to adopt the ideals and principles of such great personalities.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Director General of Assam Rifles Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera and United Service Institution of India Director General Major General B.K. Sharma (retired) was present.
-IANS
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