AK Antony. PHOTO: FILE
Amidst flaring tensions with neighbouring Pakistan, India’s defence minister said on Monday that the Indian armed forces on the border “have the freedom to respond to developing conditions on the border appropriately”.
However, AK Antony refused to amplify or explain his remarks because “Parliament is on and I cannot say anything outside Parliament when it is in session”. However, military officials said local army units had the autonomy to respond in the way they thought fit when it came to defending the border. Antony was in his home state of Kerala to launch the ‘wholly indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant’.
Interestingly, while making a statement in Parliament on behalf of Home Minister SK Shinde, who is indisposed, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said all terror in India did not emanate from across the border. He was speaking in the context of Hindu-Muslim tension in the Jammu region in which three persons of the two communities have died over the last three days.
While external forces did help in aiding terrorist activities inside India when they saw the chance, some terror activity was also the work of miscreants within India, said Chidambaram.
In Kerala, while launching INS Vikrant, Antony said it was a useful addition to the Indian naval force. Vikrant’s predecessor was decommissioned in 1997 after having played a significant role in the 1971 war with Pakistan. Vikrant’s launch will mark the end of the first phase of its construction and it will be now re-docked for outfitting and construction of superstructure.
The launch, attended by senior defence officials and diplomats, marked India’s entry into an elite club of nations including Britain, France, Russia and the United States that design and build their own aircraft carriers.
“It took us seven to eight years to design it,” the navy’s chief designer AK Saxena said, referring to the project launched in 2009 as “complex and challenging”.
The launch is due to take place just days after India announced on Saturday its first indigenously-built nuclear submarine was ready for sea trials – a step before it becomes fully operational – and called it a ‘giant stride’ for the nation.
India’s government is spending tens of billions of dollars upgrading its mainly Soviet-era military hardware as it bolsters its defences in a hostile neighbourhood.
India unveiled the 6,000-tonne INS Arihant – Destroyer of Enemies – in 2009 as part of a project to build five such vessels which would be armed with nuclear-tipped missiles and torpedoes.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 13th, 2013.
COMMENTS (30)
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@Water Bottle: I second your statement, but when ever there is an intention of peace, incidents like these happen.
@skhan:
good luck :)
What better way for population control on both sides. Starve them in the name of defense,and then kill them with nukes.
@Shahid Khan: there were clear winners in 4 wars.... i donno how much u people overestimate ur strength but u will be thrashed badly if u do not undo ur bad deeds....no buzzzzzzzzz off.... :*
@pakistanis I think many of the comments are encouraging from you guys but problem is of ghq rawalpindi which distinguishes between terrorist a good taliban and a bad taliban between terrorist in kashmir and that in balochistan many pakis have to realize that the problem wasn't with five soldiers dying but about some of the green uniform men crossing the border and even i hope that tension decreases and can decrease only when a good decision like mfn for india comes from pakistan
@skhan: man conventional war against india will be a huge disaster for your country..... actually what you have to fight with india.....
@indianshia: You are among the lucky majority who listened to Maulana abul Kalam Azad
@Naeem hussain
Where are you getting your information from...you're completely wrong,brother.Completely.
Sunni's and Shia's do not fight in Pakistan either it is the Indian backed terrorists who are killing Shias in Pakistan and making unrest in Balochistan. In fact every single country of our region is the victim of the Indian state sponsored terrorism. Remember my words India will pay a very heavy price of its acts of terrorism. America will use India and then leave.@indianshia:
@Blithe @Np
Not 5 miles.Not half a mile,but,less than half km- 450 meters.Don't you watch the news ?
@Shahid Khan: I second you. Shallow Jingoism seems to be taking over sound reason.
both nations are genetically flawed and not able to think rationally. instead of spending on human development all they take pride is in worthless military equipments.
@skhan: a very immature comment.
What kind of discussion are we having for gods sake. We are neighbours forever! All we should talk about is peace and deescalation of the current issue. Nobody wants a war because there arent going to be any winners. PEACE!
@Blithe: @Aysha M:
FYI:This is for India's self defense but not to kill/attack anyone.
Wow! I'm proud to be Indian, Now China and Pakistan will think 100 times before daring to cross the border.
How many hindustanis this could have fed, clothed and provided a shelter to.
Pakistan government and Media are free to roll over the feet of indians
India doesnt allow killing of shia muslims in kashmir or other parts of India. Infact we dont see fights between sunnis and shias in India atal. Infact fights between hindus and muslims are also very rare these days. Muslims live a peaceful life all over India. We are glad we didn't migrate to Pakistan during partition.
They are 'free to respond' and when these heroes of yours get wasted during cross fire, why you start weeping?
@skhan: "It wont be a conventional war for too long,".... we are counting on it.
We don't need to worry about anything, afterall this is the same army that is unable to differentiate between drones and planets.
@Blithe: They did nt die 5 miles in Indian territory. Your interior minister lied to you. They died half a mile into Indian territory. Big difference.
@Blithe: Same goes for Baluchistan. Baluchistan oppressors must not be surprised when they are executed.
It wont be a conventional war for too long, watch out India!!!
Troops are free now ..........let's go..we will learn about ceasefire lesson.
One things is certain though. Election time is bad for both the countries.
If we really ever want to see peace between the two countries, then Both countries should hold elections together.
Those five occupying soldiers of yours died 5 miles inside Indian occupied Kashmir. And an occupying army soldier should be expected to be killed by the people whose rights he has usurped .
So as long core issue of Kashmir to be unresolved , expect more Indian occupying soldiers to die by local resistance forces.
Brilliant, lets play war! People sitting in Delhi and Islamabad will get innocent people killed. Can we pls have somebody desescalating tension before more loss of life.