26 October,2020 05:05 PM IST | New Delhi | IANS
Ajit Doval
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has said that India has never gone to war with anyone for selfish reasons and urged spiritual gurus to spread the Indian civilisational values of peace and spirituality around the world.
Addressing ascetics, sages and priests at Parmarth Niketan, the largest spiritual centre on the banks of the river Ganga in Rishikesh on Saturday, he recalled the strength of India's spiritual history and the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda.
In his discourse on national security, Doval explained how "states are bound by physical dimensions but the nation is an emotional bond which is bound by the common thread of spirituality and culture in which there is a collective sense of pride".
The role of Indian gurus and spiritual centres, he said, is to guard this larger sense of collective identity.
ALSO READ
Mid-Day Top News: Maharashtra assembly polls likely only after Diwali and more
Maharashtra assembly elections likely only after Diwali
Congress: Centre insensitive to statehood restoration demand, will be poll issue
Raut defends Uddhav's push for decision on CM's face from MVA allies
Long queues at voting centres as first ever hawkers polls in city begin
While responding to some of the comments made by the hosts at the centre, Doval said the state does not go to war with anyone just because some sections of society desire it.
"India has never gone to war with anyone for selfish reasons. The state will fight both within and outside only when the threat is imminent. We will not go to war for our selfish reasons," he emphasised.
India has fought four wars with Pakistan--1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999 and one with China in 1962. In none of the wars, was India the aggressor. India fought with Pakistan in 1971 to prevent and stop the genocide of Bengalis perpetrated by the Pakistani Army.
However, a section of media presented Doval's statement out of context and linked it to the ongoing stand-off between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh since June this year. Some news channels misquoted the NSA and claimed that he had threatened to go to war with China.
The NSA's office told IANS that Doval made his "comments more in the civilisational context and not directed against anyone in the current context as some channels are doing."
Media has not projected his message accurately, the NSA office said.
Doval had spoken at the spiritual centre in Hindi, which some news outlets not only misinterpreted but directly translated to English, instead of transliterating his comments. The TV news channels played his edited video clip without showing the context of the interaction between the NSA and the spiritualists at Parmarth Niketan.
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.
Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
