Tributes paid to martyrs ahead of 8th edition of Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh        

Tributes were paid to martyrs here on Sunday as a precursor to the eighth edition of the Military Literature Festival, with Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria laying a wreath at the Chandigarh War Memorial.

Former Army chief General (Retd) VP Malik, former Indian Air Force chief BS Dhanoa and Military Literature Festival association chairman Lieutenant General (Retd) TS Shergill were also present on the occasion.

A ‘Bravehearts Ride’ motorcycle rally, spreading the message of courage, sacrifice and patriotism was also organised as part of the events connected with the Military Literature Festival (MLF).

The eighth edition of the MLF will be held here on November 30 and December 1.

"We paid our tributes to the martyrs, who made supreme sacrifices for the motherland," Kataria told reporters here after laying a wreath at the memorial.

He said the valour of the bravehearts continues to inspire generations and exhorted the youth to embrace the noble path of serving the nation with the same courage and dedication shown by these heroes.

Replying to a question, Kataria said even today the youth have a great fascination for the armed forces.

"Youth are the future of the country. The future of the country is going to be shaped by them... If one works with dedication, honesty, the country progresses with cooperation from all...and we can achieve the aim of a developed nation by 2047," he said.

Speaking on the sidelines, General Malik said the main purpose of this MLF was to inspire the youth.

With the 25th anniversary of the Kargil War triumph being the theme of this year's MLF, General Malik, who was the Army chief at that time, said there would be discussions about the war.

When asked about the country emphasising self-reliance in defence, General Malik said 'Atmanirbharta' was a good thing.

"During the Kargil War, we had to import 75 per cent of the arms and ammunition... For the security of a nation, self-reliance, especially when it comes to defence equipment and weapons, is necessary," he told PTI.

Asked about lessons our country can learn from the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts, General Malik said the (Indian) armed forces were watching and observing them very carefully.

"All the new issues which are coming up, new concepts which are coming up, they are all watching and we are drawing those lessons and incorporating them," said General Malik.

"I keep hearing the discussions which are taking place. So, it is not that we are just looking at it only, but we are also absorbing those lessons and making them as part of our doctrines," he added.

When asked that warfare had transcended into new domains, cyber etc, General Malik said, "The nature of conflict has expanded quite a lot. A lot of things have come, cyber war etc. These are new aspects of the nature of conflict which are being observed and these lessons are being absorbed by the armed forces."

"The whole nature of warfare has changed, one of the main reasons is because of the technological changes that have come about. Warfare today is a very dynamic issue because the technology is moving so fast. Because of that you find a new weapon system, new capabilities are coming. Armed forces are also trying and improving these capabilities in our own doctrines," he added.

On the military recruitment scheme Agnipath, General Malik said it was a good scheme aimed at ensuring the youthful profile of the armed forces.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Shergill said warfare had changed in scope and size.

Referring to increased domains of warfare, he said there would be a discussion on this during the MLF.

Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Dhanoa, touching upon motivating the youth to join the armed forces, said military veterans could play an important role in doing this. "The veterans must tell their stories. Aim is what, if there is a child, you must put stars in the eyes of the child. My grandfather did it for me when I was a child. He used to tell me stories. I decided to join the military at a very early age. It is our job as veterans that we speak to the young people, young children, organise things like this (MLF), and put stars in the eyes of the children," he said.

The former IAF chief said the youth must join the military for two reasons — "one is of course service to the nation and second is that this is the job they want to do and nothing else. If that is your motivation, you will do very well".

Referring to the IAF's Heritage Centre in Chandigarh, he said, "We must have more places like this so that we can motivate children. When they go around and see things like this, it will motivate them."    "On the 50th anniversary of the 1971 (Indo-Pak) war, the Air Force Association published a book in which the veterans from all branches of the IAF, who were in that war, wrote their story. When people read it, they get motivated...Likewise, the MLF does a tremendous job in motivating people to come and join the military," he added.