New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Wednesday urged citizens to put nation first and remain united as he praised the contribution of the Northeast to the country’s security.
He also said that just like Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, India had integrated Jammu and Kashmir without firing a bullet.
The Defence Minister was speaking at the Major Bob Khathing Memorial event jointly organised by the Indian Army, Assam Rifles and United Services Institution of India (USI).
A Naga from Manipur, Khathing is best known for his expedition to the remote region of Tawang in 1951 that paved the way for its integration with the rest of India.
Later, he served as Indian ambassador to Myanmar from 1972 to 1975. The Naga officer was decorated with the Military Cross (MC), Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE), and later with Padma Shri in 1957. Khathing became the chief secretary of Nagaland in 1967.
Singh called upon the people to discharge their duties with honesty, and move fearlessly towards achieving their goals, which were the core principles of Major Khathing, an extraordinary figure who made invaluable contributions to the Northeast region and national security, a statement by the Defence Ministry said.
The Defence Minister’s remarks come amid continued violence in Manipur, which has seen a complete breakdown of law and order, and tensions in Nagpur and other parts of the country.
Singh added that India is fortunate to have been home to such prominent personalities for whom security, integrity and sovereignty of the nation is paramount.
He commended Major Khathing’s role in integrating, developing and rebuilding not only Tawang but the entire Northeast region.
“Major Bob Khathing made a significant contribution in strengthening national unity. The work he carried out for the Northeast is similar to what Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel did at the national level,” he said.
He added that Major Khathing efficiently carried out the integration of Tawang into India without firing a single bullet, and the Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, follows the principles of such revolutionaries.
“We completely merged Jammu and Kashmir into India by removing the biggest hurdle—Article 370—without firing a single bullet. The work was carried out peacefully with full security, keeping all the stakeholders in mind,” he said.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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