India has won direct wars with Pak, will also win indirect one: Rajnath

New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that India has won direct wars with Pakistan and will also win indirect one as well.

Singh was speaking after inaugurating 'Swarnim Vijay Parv' celebration at India Gate on 50 years of India's 1971 war.

Singh said, "After the defeat in 1971, Pakistan is continuously fighting a proxy war. Pakistan wants to disrupt peace in India by promoting terrorism and other anti-India activities. The Indian forces foiled their plans in 1971 and work to eliminate terrorism from its root is underway. We have won in a direct war and the victory will be ours in an indirect war as well," he added.

Talking about strong anti-India sentiment of Pakistan, Singh said, "The anti-India feeling in Pakistan can be seen from the fact that they name their missiles after invaders who attacked India - Ghori, Ghaznavi, Abdali, whereas India's missiles are named Akash, Prithvi, Agni. Now one of our missiles has also been named Sant".

Singh congratulated Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) for the successful flight test of indigenously designed and developed helicopter-launcher Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) Missile on December 11.

The Defence Minister termed the 1971 war as among the most decisive after two World Wars. "This war tells us that the partition of India on the basis of religion was a historic mistake. Pakistan was born in the name of one religion but it could not remain one," he added.

Singh mentioned that the 1971 war is a classic example of India's morality and democratic traditions. "It will be rarely seen in history that after defeating another country in a war, a country does not impose its dominance, but hands over power to its political representative. India did this, because it is a part of our culture. India has never invaded any country, nor has it ever captured an inch of land of any other country," he said.

The Defence Minister recalled India's contribution in the establishment of democracy in Bangladesh and appreciated the fact that it has progressed rapidly on the path of development in the last 50 years, which is an inspiration for the world.

Singh said that the atrocities on the people of then East Pakistan were a threat to the entire humanity and it was India's responsibility to liberate them of that injustice and exploitation.

He paid rich tributes to the brave Indian soldiers, sailors and air warriors and their families who ensured the victory in the 1971 war, and said that the country will always be indebted to their sacrifice.

Remembering general Bipin Rawat, India's first Chief of Defence Staff, Singh said that in the untimely death of General Rawat, India has lost a brave soldier, an able advisor and a lively person.

The event will also mark the culmination of the year-long journey of the Victory Flame, the Swarnim Vijay Mashal which, having traversed the length and breadth of the country and collected soil samples from the villages of the gallant soldiers of the war, will converge in New Delhi on December 16, 2021 in a grand ceremony.