Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (Getty Image File Photo)

Dehradun: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said India needs to remain prepared for a full-scale war in the future and called for better synergy between the armed forces and the civil administration for this. In an address at Mussoorie’s Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Singh also mentioned the fighting in Ukraine to stress that security challenges have become more complex now with cyber and proxy wars. He said India believes in peace and “waging war is not in our character”.

But if it is provoked into a war, the country which attacks it will suffer because India does not fight on the strength of its weapons but of its morale, he said at the IAS academy’s 28th joint civil-military training programme. “Considering the machinations of our neighbours, especially one, as you know, India needs to keep itself ready for a full-scale war in the future. I am confident that through better coordination and synergy between the armed forces and the civil administration, we can enhance our future readiness for a full-scale war,” Singh said.

He said the armed forces alone cannot deal with the security challenges in the times now. “Better coordination between different organs of the administration and the armed forces is the need of the hour.” Citing the Ukraine conflict, he said security challenges of the day all over the world have become more complex and comprehensive with phenomena like cyber warfare, proxy and non-contact wars. Through cyberattacks a country can paralyse the economy, banking system and electoral process of another country, he said.

In a scenario like this, “jointness” and integration of different organs of the government and the armed forces to face security challenges are a must, the Defence Minister added. “An enemy country’s machinations are not confined only to the borders but beyond them. It can inflict damage not only on the borders but inside them,” he said. He said full-scale wars are being avoided by countries today but considering the activities of its neighbours, India has to keep itself ready for a full-scale war. “Waging war is not in our character,” he said. “We never attacked any country nor usurp even an inch of its land. We are the first and the only country whose saints and seers gave the message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (entire universe is one family) to the world. No other country in the world had as big a heart as us,” he added.