Sentiments of 1965 prevail, says Modi
PM: Army does not speak, displays bravery
Comparing the raging anger in the country against Pakistan in the aftermath of the Uri attack where 18 soldiers were martyred to the sentiments witnessed during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday maintained that those responsible for the terror strike will surely be punished, even as he asserted that “the Army does not speak but displays bravery”.
The Prime Minister, while addressing people through his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat, sent out a message to the people of Kashmir, which has been witnessing unrest for over two months, saying “peace, unity and harmony” are the ways to resolve problems and expressed confidence that all issues can be addressed through discussions.
Mr Modi began his broadcast by paying tributes to the 18 soldiers who died in the Uri attack on September 18. “This cowardly act was enough to shake the entire country. There is mourning as well as anger in the country,” he said.
Reposing faith in the Indian Army, the Prime Minister said it will foil all such designs through its bravery. He read out a message from a Class XI student who had expressed his anger over the Uri incident and had the desire to do something over it. After lot of thinking, he had however resolved to an give extra 3 hours to studies every day as his added contribution to the country.
“When the 1965 War (with Pakistan) broke out and Lal Bahadur Shastri was leading the country, similar was the feeling, anger in the country. There was fever of nationalism. Everybody was keen to do something. At that time, Lal Bahadur Shastriji attempted to represent this feeling in an excellent manner to the world and he gave the slogan of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ to inspire people to work for the country,” he noted.
Mr Modi also said that when Mahatma Gandhi was leading the freedom movement and whenever it attained speed, he would direct that for constructive works in the society.
“We all — the Army should carry out its responsibility, we in the government should fulfil our duties and the citizens should provide constructive contribution with the feeling of nationalism — then the nation will definitely touch new heights,” he said.