00:00Out of concern, just trying to understand from you, because you also just mentioned at the beginning of this interview that this area is, you know, consists of mud flats and it's not easy to have infrastructure there.
00:12How ready is India right now? Because in 2023, when India, you know, started to construct on this particular Mauryabat Island, Pakistan objected to it. How ready India is in terms of its reconnaissance capabilities, its infrastructure to be able to, you know, have better surveillance so that Pakistani fishermen or Pakistani boats or even Pakistani military does not infiltrate?
00:36Very good question. And, uh, I haven't been bringing historical context to this. If you remember 1965, the war of 65 did not start from Punjab or Kashmir. It actually started from here in Bhuj right there and on the, on the, on the Bhuj coastline, uh, 1971. Again, later on, this was, this area was reasonably active after Kargil.
01:05This is the area where if you remember the Atlantic aircraft, which is the surveillance aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft of the Pakistan Navy was shot down by India with 16 people who died in that air crash.
01:19Uh, the aircraft fell on the Pakistani side and the Pakistanis always claimed that they had never penetrated Indian airspace. So this area has a history of tension.
01:29Uh, and, uh, we know that Pakistan, every time there is a, some major conflagration up north, always attempts to do something in this area, which is one of the reasons why India has been very, very circumspect, uh, about what's happening at the moment.
01:44Having said that, I have the fullest confidence that the Indian armed forces and jointly, not just the Indian army, but jointly the Navy, the army and the air force along with the BSF.
01:55have got their act together, have always had a certain focus on this particular area.
02:00The presence of Mr. Rajnath Singh for the Sarah celebrations with the troops in Bhuj was a notional symbolic act to project and tell people across the border that we are ready.
02:14We are ready. Our focus is very much in this area. Shastra Pooja was performed there. If you remember, and, um, uh, quickly thereafter, immediately thereafter, the army chief has made a number of statements.
02:26The air force chief has made a number of statements, all this outlining primarily and focusing, projecting that India is in a state of readiness in terms of infrastructure, in terms of technology.
02:39India has upgraded itself very greatly in the last 10 to 12 years.
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