Emphasising that an optimal balance between diplomacy and robust military capabilities is crucial for the nation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated on Thursday that India possesses both the "power of argument" and the "argument of power". He affirmed that the country will swiftly adopt whichever language the opposing side understands best.

Delivering his address at a prominent defence conclave in New Delhi, the minister underlined that soft power can serve as a valuable complement to hard power. However, he strongly asserted that soft power can never act as an alternative to hard power in any manner.

Singh explained that within India's ancient tradition, the concepts of power and peace have never been at variance with one another. The real challenge emerged post-Independence, when several early leaders chose to treat power ('Shakti') and morality ('Naitikta') as opposing alternatives rather than integrating both philosophies seamlessly.

He highlighted that in the early 1960s, former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru himself publicly acknowledged that the leadership was detached from ground realities and residing in a self-created artificial environment.

The Defence Minister further alleged that subsequent national leaders failed to draw necessary lessons from those historical mistakes, remaining rigid in their strategic posture. He pointed out that India's national security and defence framework suffered from a persistent 'false consensus effect' over several decades.

Elaborating on this issue, Singh remarked that previous leaders erroneously assumed that other regional nations shared India's intrinsic commitment to peaceful coexistence.

He asserted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a fundamental transformation has occurred in India's national security philosophy.

India has made it unequivocally clear to the international community that it maintains the power of argument alongside the argument of power, and it will respond precisely in the language understood by adversaries.

The minister noted that while India continues to proactively use diplomatic channels to foster global harmony, it is simultaneously bolstering its defence preparedness to counter emerging security challenges.

Although India remains a staunch advocate of resolving conflicts through democratic dialogue, it will not hesitate to take decisive military steps whenever national sovereignty is threatened.

To demonstrate this operational readiness, Singh highlighted the execution of the surgical strikes, the 2019 Balakot air strikes, and Operation Sindoor conducted last year, noting that these actions prove India's firm resolve and lethal capability.

He cautioned that military preparations conducted without effective diplomacy could trigger unwanted escalation and a strategic security dilemma. Conversely, relying solely on diplomacy without backing it up with hard military capabilities represents an invitation to weakness that could prove disastrous for national security.

The high-level event witnessed the presence of top strategic thinkers, policy experts, Chief of Defence Staff General N S Raja Subramani, and several senior defence ministry officials.

Addressing modern geopolitical realities, Singh stated that national security in the 21st century has expanded far beyond physical domain boundaries, given the growing frequency of state-sponsored cyber attacks aimed at critical infrastructure.

Hostile foreign actors frequently deploy coordinated smear campaigns and targeted disinformation to create societal friction and internal instability within the country.

Furthermore, national security remains deeply entwined with economic stability and energy security, leaving critical supply networks vulnerable to strategic disruption by adversaries.

Singh termed the restricted view of identifying national security exclusively with geographical border defence as a 'perimeter fallacy'.

He explained that while international land borders are geographically fixed, modern threat vectors remain highly fluid, volatile, and non-linear across domains.

To address these evolving risks, India is actively adopting a comprehensive, multi-domain strategy aimed at modernising the armed forces and making them future-ready for any contingency. Singh reiterated that Indian strategic tradition has always harmonised political realism with core moral idealism.

Historical conflicts forced upon India served as a stark reminder that robust national security policies cannot be constructed on optimistic wishful thinking alone. Formulating effective national defence policies demands an uncompromising focus on core national interests and ground realities.

Concluding his address, the Defence Minister reiterated that diplomatic efforts derive their ultimate leverage when backed by credible military power.

PTI