A war is fought by an entire nation, not only by the Indian Armed Forces, said the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan. By this, he noted that all political leaders, diplomats, and soldiers play their respective roles during a war. The remarks by the CDS came during his address at the 128th Foundation Day celebrations of Scindia School in Gwalior on Monday.
"Operation Sindoor created a new matrix of decision and timing in warfare. Many challenges still lie ahead for the armed forces. No war is fought by the armed forces alone; the whole nation fights it. Leaders, diplomats, and soldiers know their roles," he said.
"The future belongs to India. The coming era belongs to India, and we, the 140 crore people of this country, can achieve this together," he noted.
General Chauhan further said, "The Prime Minister has set a target of 2047 for a developed India. The country will be stronger and more secure in the coming years. We will transform the nation. After Operation Sindoor, a new normal has emerged, talks and terrorism cannot go hand in hand."
"The country cannot tolerate even the threat of a nuclear attack. Pakistan thought it could do anything with nuclear capability, but Operation Sindoor proved it wrong. The new normal's impact was visible on Pakistan — we outperformed it in every field, including sports," the CDS averred.
He said, "Our armed forces work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Wars are now fought using new technologies such as air defence, electronic warfare and drones." Describing the current period as "Amrit Kaal", General Chauhan cited.
"Our country gave the world the concepts of decimal and zero. Indian minds have always been creative with strong memory and logic. Today, our people's intellect is recognised globally. The Prime Minister says we must rid ourselves of the mentality of slavery," he added.
Union minister and BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia was also present at the function. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who is also an alumnus of the school, received the Madhav Award. Foreign Secretary Misri, who studied at the school between 1977 and 1981 and belongs to the 1989 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, recalled his days at the reputed educational institute.
"This day is not just a date — it reminds us of a journey that began 128 years ago. It was the vision of the late Madhav Maharaj, who wanted to create an academy that instills discipline and character. This tradition continues to this day," Jyotiraditya said, speaking about Scindia School's history.
"The Marathas stood as the first line of defence for the nation. (Maratha Empire general) Mahadji Scindia equipped his army with modern artillery and carried forward Chhatrapati Shivaji's Hindavi Swaraj. Because of the Army's uniform, 140 crore Indians sleep peacefully at night. A nation becomes great through vision and values,” Scindia added, highlighting the contribution of the Marathas.
He then called Operation Sindoor a message of courage and a symbol of Indian culture and values.
"Several enemy bases were destroyed without any loss of (civilian) life, thanks to technology and teamwork under General Chauhan's leadership," Scindia maintained.
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