The North News
New Delhi, September 22
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) will one day become part of India on its own, without military intervention. Speaking in Rabat, Morocco, at an interaction with the Indian diaspora, he recalled his remarks to soldiers in the Kashmir Valley five years ago. “I had said then we will not need to attack and capture PoK, it is anyway ours. PoK itself will say, ‘Main bhi Bharat Hoon’ (I am also India). That day will come,” he said.
The Defence Minister also reaffirmed that India’s armed forces had been given full freedom to respond to attacks, citing the recent strike in Pahalgam. Stressing that India’s military actions were measured and non-escalatory, he quoted the Ramcharitmanas: “Humne dharm dekh kar nahi, karm dekh kar maara hai” (we acted not based on religion, but on deeds). He praised the decisive conduct of the forces during Operation Sindoor.
He went on to highlight India’s progress over the past decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the country had risen from the world’s 11th largest economy to the fourth, with ambitions to soon be among the top three. He underlined advances in digitalisation, the knowledge economy, and the surge in startups, noting India’s unicorns had grown from 18 a decade ago to 118 today. In defence, he said production had reached ₹1.5 lakh crore, while exports now exceed ₹23,000 crore to more than 100 countries.
The minister praised the contribution of the Indian community abroad, recalling Swami Vivekananda’s words that character defines a person. Members of the diaspora expressed pride in India’s growing global stature and strong economic foundations.
