Visakhapatnam: Rajnath Singh urges world to aspire for peace

Visakhapatnam : In the age of democratic and rules-based world order, where individual countries proactively collaborate for shared peace and prosperity, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called upon the international community to collectively aspire for peace.

Sharing his insights on the concept of ‘peace’ during the formal opening ceremony of the 12th edition of the multinational biennial exercise ‘MILAN-2024’ in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, the Defence Minister asserted that the absence of wars and conflicts is the most irreducible minimum element of peace. He mentioned that ‘negative peace’ often stems from dominance or hegemony, where one power imposes its will upon others. The concept of positive peace goes beyond mere absence of direct military conflict and encompasses broader notions of security, justice, and cooperation. The positive peace is the shared peace of one and all. There is no Indian peace or Australian peace or Japanese peace, rather it is the shared global peace, the Defence Minister explained. The Defence Minister stressed that in this evolution of the nature of the Armed Forces, international military exercises have emerged as crucial mechanisms for fostering friendship, understanding, cooperation and military interoperability among friendly nations within the framework of a democratic world order. He termed ‘MILAN 2024’ as one such attempt to build the much-needed fraternal bonds across the oceans and mountains. “India continues its proactive engagement and has been maintaining a sustained presence in the region to ensure safety and security of all shipping, irrespective of the flag on the ship and the nationality of the crew. It is our steadfast resolve to be the first responder and preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean Region and for the peace, stability and prosperity of the wider Indo-Pacific,” said the Defence Minister.

Referring to the recent events in the Western Indian Ocean which have brought to the fore some pressing challenges in the maritime domain, ranging from attacks on the merchant shipping to piracy and hijacking attempts, Rajnath Singh said, “We will not shrink from countering any threat that undermines our collective well-being, piracy and trafficking included.”

Later, the Defence Minister launched the Nishar communication terminal. As communication forms an important link in achieving interoperability, Indian Navy has developed MITRA terminals with Nishar application to connect all friendly partner navies. The Defence Minister inaugurated MILAN Village that reflected the culture, tradition and cuisine of various nations participating in the multilateral naval exercise. The vibrant tapestry of cultures is accentuated by delicacies from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Vietnam along with a wide variety of Indian cuisine. Handlooms, handicrafts, gems, crystals, artifacts and souvenirs from across the world have been put up at various counters.

The cultural performances added ethnic flavour to the village. In his address, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar stated that MILAN encapsulates and rejuvenates the unrelenting spirit of ‘Cohesion, Camaraderie and Collaboration.’

“From five IOR navies in 1995 to 50 navies across the Indo-Pacific today, MILAN reflects the growing stature and increasing importance of such collective and cooperative endeavours in the maritime domain,” he emphasised.

The Maritime Technical Exposition MTEX-24 highlighted India’s push towards self-reliance in the defence sector. Organised in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, it showcased the latest advancements in naval technology i.e., shipbuilding, communication systems, cybersecurity and sustainable energy solutions.