Op Sindoor instilled fear in minds of terrorists: Defence minister Rajnath Singh
Operation Sindoor achieved all objectives and instilled fear in the minds of the terrorists, said defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday, lauding the leadership of President Droupadi Murmu as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. He added the President has played a crucial role in boosting the morale of the army, air force and navy from time to time. Defence minister Rajnath Singh during the release of the second volume of 'Wings to Our Hopes' and its Hindi version 'Ashaon Ki Udaan', collections of selected speeches by President Droupadi Murmu, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, in Delhi, on Monday. (PTI)
The minister was speaking at Rashtrapati Bhavan during the launch of Wings to Our Hopes (Volume-II), a compilation of 51 speeches delivered by President Droupadi Murmu during her second year in office (2023–24), across occasions such as national addresses and university convocations.
One of the speeches featured in the collection is the address President Murmu delivered at the passing out parade of the National Defence Academy in 2023, where she aimed to inspire and motivate newly commissioned officers of the Armed Forces, said Singh.
'Viksit Bharat (developed India) is the objective, and this book is its means,' said Singh. 'If you read this book, you will feel that she is still playing the role of a teacher in national building.'
Describing the collection as a reflection of the government's vision for a Viksit Bharat by 2047, Singh said the President's speeches touch on key themes like innovation, women's contributions to nation-building, equality, and cultural heritage.
Citing examples like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's 'Tryst with Destiny' and Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream,' the defence minister said such speeches do more than convey ideas - they chart the course of movements and outline visions for the future. He added that speeches hold the power to ignite revolutions, influence public opinion, and drive policy change.
The minister also quoted renowned writer Franz Kafka, who once said, 'A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.' He drew a parallel between this idea and President Murmu's speeches, many of which were delivered at convocations, moments he described as the 'last rites' of a student's time in the gurukul (school) of learning. In that context, he said, the President's words should be seen as part of the Rishi tradition — passing of knowledge from teacher to student.
Also present at the event were minister of railway, IT and information & broadcasting (I&B) Ashwini Vaishnaw and MoS I&B L. Murugan.
The book, available in Hindi as Ashaon Ki Udaan - Khand 2, along with an e-version, was compiled by Rashtrapati Bhavan and published by the Publications Division of the I&B Ministry.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Operation Sindoor achieved all objectives': Defence minister Rajnath Singh praises armed forces; unveils President Murmu's book
Defence minister Rajnath Singh addresses the gathering at Rashtrapati Bhavan Complex (ANI) Defence minister Rajnath Singh had said on Monday that Operation Sindoor had succeeded in 'injecting fear' in the minds of terrorists and had achieved all its objectives. He was speaking at an event held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Complex. He asserted that under the leadership of the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, Indian soldiers carried out Operation Sindoor and were successful in achieving all its objectives. In the event, Singh unveiled a curated collection of 51 speeches delivered by President Draupadi Murmu and stressed that it would become a 'karma granth' of the 'Viksit Bharat' vision. The book is titled 'Wings to Our Hopes-Volume II' and its Hindi version 'Ashaon Ki Udaan-Khand 2', along with an e-version, were released by the defence minister. The ministry of information and broadcasting said in a statement on Sunday that the 51 speeches reflect President Murmu's vision, philosophy, and key priorities during her second year in office from August 2023 to July 2024. "The book will become a guiding light to build Viksit Bharat with progressive thoughts while preserving our glorious heritage. President Droupadi Murmu knows the importance of diversity in our country and recognises the pain of the deprived. This book proclaims the spirit of equality," Singh said. The defence minister remarked that the book brings together President Murmu's insights and ideas across a wide range of subjects, from civilisation and culture to religion, science, art, literature, education, health, and the journey from past to future. Singh asserted on President Murmu being the best example of women-led development in India. On Saturday, Singh had said that Operation Sindoor was not over yet, and that India was ready to take 'all kinds of action against terrorism' while addressing troops of the Army's Udhampur-based Northern Command on the 11th International Yoga Day. Singh had warned that the military action in Pakistan, a retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, was a clear message that it would face the consequences for supporting terror activities against India.
India Gazette
19 minutes ago
- India Gazette
DRDO offers 28 indigenous weapon systems to military for emergency procurement
New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): The Defence Research and Development Organisation has offered 28 of its designed and developed weapon systems to the three services for emergency procurement. This comes at a time when the indigenous weapons performed well during India's military retaliation, Operation Sindoor, against the Pahalgam terror attack. The Defence Forces have been allowed to buy new weapons and replenish the stocks of existing weapons by the Centre under the emergency procurement powers. Under these powers, they can buy hardware up to Rs 300 crore for a single product. 'The premier defence research agency has submitted the list to the defence ministry and includes rockets, air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, laser-guided bombs, torpedoes, shoulder-fired air defence and anti-tank missiles, helicopter-launched and ground-launched Nag missiles, Rudram anti-radiation missiles, Naval anti-ship missiles and grenades,' defence officials told ANI. 'The long list of weapon systems provided by the DRDO also lists the vendors who produce them and the number that the defence forces can procure in the next six months to one year,' the sources said. The DRDO has also listed the names of the Production agencies for its various products from which the forces can source these items. For example, the Pinaka rockets can be acquired from Solar Defence and Aerodpace Limited, while Bharat Dynamics Limited is the source for multiple pieces of equipment in the list. The forces have also been offered the Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, Very Short-Range Air Defence System, Smart Anti-Airfield Weapons, long-range Glide Bomb, and Advanced Light-Weight Torpedo, along with ammunition for the 155 mm artillery guns. The forces have been given the option to order from a list of 28 different pieces of equipment, including 14 for the Indian Army, 8 for the Indian Navy, and 6 for the Indian Air Force. The Indian Air Force is also acquiring the SAAW smart ammunition as part of a proposal being considered by the Defence Ministry, which is likely to come up for discussion soon. The DRDO has been the main developer of weapons in the Indian system, and its BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, MRSAM air-edge fence missile systems, and Akash air-edge fence systems have performed very well in defeating Pakistani attacks during Op Sindoor. The DRDO contribution or the offer of weapon systems readily available for the forces to use within one year is much higher than what was offered during the conflict with China, when not many systems were ready to be offered to the forces. (ANI)
India Gazette
19 minutes ago
- India Gazette
Parliament working to constitute Parliamentary Friendship Groups to strengthen global ties: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
By Nishant Ketu New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): In a major step towards enhancing India's parliamentary diplomacy, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla informed that the Parliament of India is working to constitute Parliamentary Friendship Groups to strengthen bonds with Parliaments at global level. On the sidelines of the National Conference of Estimates Committees of Parliament and State/UT Legislative Bodies, Birla informed that formation of parliamentary groups, aimed at fostering stronger international relationships, are expected to be officially initiated after consultations with all political parties in the upcoming Monsoon Session. Birla told media that such friendship groups have proven to be effective in building mutual understanding and cooperation among parliaments. The Indian Parliament is also moving in this direction. Lok Sabha Speaker said that these groups will be formed for different countries and will include Members of Parliament from across the parties. They will function as instruments of parliamentary diplomacy, enabling lawmakers to engage directly with their counterparts abroad, share best practices and deepen bilateral ties. The initiative is expected to open new avenues for collaboration in areas such as trade, education, culture and technology through people-to-people and parliament-to-parliament contact. It also reflects India's growing emphasis on diplomacy that goes beyond traditional executive channels. It is pertinent to note that government sent seven groups of All-party delegation in various countries to project India's national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all forms and manifestations after Operation Sindoor. This was the first time that the Centre deployed MPs from multiple parties to present India's stance on Kashmir and cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan. These groups received a very positive response from all the countries, which they visited. It also gives an idea to take such initiative to strengthen relationship with various countries. Birla expressed his hope that if all parties reach a consensus on this initiative, the Parliamentary Friendship Groups will mark a significant step in strengthening India's soft power and global engagement through the legislative route. (ANI)
