New Delhi: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday described the Partition of India as “the greatest blunder of history” and said the retrieval of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) remained the only pending issue between India and Pakistan.
Addressing the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas commemoration organised by the Jammu Kashmir Peoples’ Forum in collaboration with the POJK Youth Forum at the Kashmiri Cultural Centre here, Singh said India’s national security approach had undergone a major transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the country adopting a proactive response to external aggression.
The Minister said Kargil Vijay Diwas symbolised the courage of the armed forces and the country’s commitment to safeguarding its unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said the lessons of the 1999 Kargil conflict remained relevant in the face of continuing security challenges.
Referring to the Partition, Singh alleged that it had resulted in prolonged hostility between India and Pakistan, leading to successive wars, cross-border terrorism and proxy warfare. He also referred to the displacement of Kashmiri Pandits as a major humanitarian tragedy.
The Union Minister said the government had adopted a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism, strengthened border management and replaced what he described as a reactive security doctrine with a proactive strategy to counter external threats.
Highlighting development in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said peace and development were mutually reinforcing and cited infrastructure projects, including rail connectivity to the Kashmir Valley, the Chenab Rail Bridge, new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and irrigation projects, as examples of recent progress.
He also said India’s growing indigenous defence production and expanding defence exports had strengthened the country’s strategic capabilities.
Referring to the 1994 Parliamentary resolution on Jammu and Kashmir, Singh reiterated that there was no issue between India and Pakistan except the retrieval of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which he described as an integral part of India.
Paying tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives during the Kargil War, Singh urged the younger generation to draw inspiration from their courage, patriotism and sacrifice and contribute towards building a stronger and self-reliant nation.
