‘We are an apolitical and irreligious army’: Army chief

“It’s indeed a privilege to speak at this esteemed institution which honours and upholds the values of Savitribhai Phule, who devoted her life to promoting women’s rights and empowerment,” the Army chief said.

“When we talk about ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, I think two prefixes are very important: progressive and peaceful. And the moment you add this, the net security provider happens to be the Indian Army. We are seeking avenues to bring together capacities to support and augment lines of effort of the nation towards the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047,” he said.

“Being a caste-less army enhances the camaraderie and diminishes the faultlines. One payoff of this was recently seen in Manipur where the veterans from the warring communities took on the mantle to ally fears and restore trust among the two ethnic factions. Today, both community members, that is Kukis and Meiteis, in the Indian Army as well as the Assam Rifles, are operating in complete harmony in the same unit. We are also training the police personnel in these areas to instill these values that their duty is more important than their identity,” said General Dwivedi.