Last Updated: March 12, 2024, 16:12 IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Bharat Shakti exercise, in Pokhran, Rajasthan, on Tuesday. (PTI)
Modi is heard saying: “This programme is 100% swadeshi. Not just that, the two scientists associated with it, too, are from India. They have completed their education in India. Not just that, APJ Abdul Kalam has studied in Tamil medium, not even English.”
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Pokhran on Tuesday to witness the ‘Bharat Shakti’ exercise, a tri-services firing and manoeuvre exercise, an excerpt of his speech in 1998 after India’s successful nuclear test there shows him hailing the “100% swadeshi” effort.
At a time when India is making strides in Aatmanirbharta, or self-reliance, in the defence sector, the clip from 26 years ago shows Modi’s vision and mission of ‘100% Make in India’ was clear then too, when he was just a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karyakarta.
In the speech, Parmanu Parikshan – Hindustan Ni Icchha Shaktino Vijay, Audio clip, 1998, he emphasizes how the scientists involved in the program were Indian and entirely educated in India, and APJ Abdul Kalam had studied in Tamil medium.
“The nuclear test program is 100% swadeshi. Not just that, the two scientists associated with it, too, are from India. They have completed their education in India. Not just that, APJ Abdul Kalam has studied in Tamil medium, not even English,” he is heard saying.
“100 Taka Swadeshi!” – 100% Made in India.PM @narendramodi is scheduled to visit Pokhran today to witness the ‘Bharat Shakti’ exercise, a tri-services firing and manoeuvre exercise. Today, we all see India making strides in Aatmanirbharta, or self-reliance, in the defence… pic.twitter.com/ALKdkxFRNX
— Modi Archive (@modiarchive) March 12, 2024
THE ‘BHARAT SHAKTI’ EXCERISE
The mega ‘Bharat Shakti’ exercise to demonstrate the prowess of indigenously manufactured defense equipment of the three services began in Rajasthan’s Pokhran firing range on Tuesday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief General Manoj Pande in attendance. LCA Tejas, ALH Mk-IV, LCH Prachand, mobile anti-drone system, BMP-II and its variants, NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier), T90 tanks, Dhanush, K9 Vajra and Pinaka rockets were among the platforms that are being demonstrated at Pokhran, about 100 km from Jaisalmer city.
“Synergized joint operations will be decisive in the Indian context. Through live firepower and maneuver demonstration, it is endeavored to showcase the tri-services operational capabilities to counter any threat leveraging indigenous capability and the ability to undertake conflicts in the face of global upheavals,” Additional Director General, Army Design Bureau, Major General C S Mann had earlier said.
“In a clear indication of India’s readiness to confront and overcome contemporary and future challenges with home-grown solutions, ‘Bharat Shakti’ highlights resilience, innovation and strength of India’s domestic defense capabilities on the global stage,” the Prime Minister’s Office said on Sunday.
“The program exemplifies the nation’s strong strides towards ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defense, by showcasing the might and operational prowess of the Indian armed forces and the ingenuity and commitment of the indigenous defense industry,” it said.
With PTI Inputs