PM inaugurates Shaurya Smaarak, addresses public meeting in Bhopal

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today addressed a gathering at Bhopal, and inaugurated the Shaurya Smaarak. Ex-servicemen were present in large numbers at the public meeting.

The Prime Minister said India's soldiers are a symbol of humanity. He recalled how the jawans of the Indian Armed Forces put their lives on the line whenever there is a natural disaster.

He said the Indian Armed Forces rank among the best in the world on parameters such as discipline and conduct. India is one of the foremost contributors to peace keeping forces worldwide, he added. He recalled that during the recent crisis in Yemen, the Indian Armed Forces had evacuated not just thousands of Indian citizens, but citizens of other nations as well.

Noting that Indians had never coveted territories of other nations, the Prime Minister emphasized that when the time came to protect human values, the Indian Armed Forces never failed to rise to the occasion. He recalled that the World Wars were not India's wars, but so many Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives defending foreign lands. He said we must not forget, and we should also make sure that the world does not forget, these sacrifices made by the jawans. He said the strength of the Indian Armed Forces is the morale of its jawans, which comes from the support of 125 crore Indians.

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, the Prime Minister said, appreciating the valour of the jawans guarding the nation's borders.

The Prime Minister quoted Hindi poets Makhanlal Chaturvedi and Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, praising the glorious traditions of sacrifice of the Indian Armed Forces.

The Prime Minister said the Union Government had fulfilled its promise of One Rank, One Pension, and outlined other measures being taken for the welfare of ex-servicemen.