Latest news with #RashtriyaRakshaUniversity
Mint
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Demographic changes in Assam, Bengal 'ticking time bomb', need to find solutions: TN Guv RN Ravi
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has expressed concern over 'demographic changes' in some parts of the country, including Assam and West Bengal. He said the demographic changes were a 'ticking time bomb', as he urged stakeholders to find solutions to the changes in parts of the country. Addressing students and faculty at Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gandhinagar, RN Ravi remarked that harbouring bitterness over language is not in India's character or culture. "This country always managed to fight external aggression. But when it comes to internal matters, what happened in the past? In 1947, India was Partitioned because of internal implosion. People following an ideology announced they don't want to live with the rest of us. This ideology broke our nation," emphasised Ravi. "Is anyone concerned about the changes in demography which took place in Assam, West Bengal and Purvanchal (parts of UP and Bihar) during the last 30-40 years? Can anyone predict today that in the coming 50 years, work for partitioning the nation will not happen in these areas?" he asked. "We should conduct a study on the sensitive demography growing in some regions and what will be its future. This issue is like a ticking time bomb. We have to think about how we will deal with this issue in the future and start finding solutions from today itself," he said. Speaking of the language rows in Maharashtra and Karnataka, RN Ravi said, 'After independence, we started fighting with each other. One of the reasons was language. They [those advocating states based on linguistic identity] called it linguistic nationalism.' He said the Central government has consistently emphasised that all languages deserve same respect. "Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said on numerous occasions that all Indian languages are our national languages and we respect each one of them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also said that at least primary education should be imparted in local languages in each state," said Ravi.
NDTV
30-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Demographic Changes In Assam, Bengal "Ticking Time Bomb": Tamil Nadu Governor
Gandhinagar: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Tuesday expressed concern over what he called demographic changes in some parts of the country, including Assam and West Bengal, as he described the trend as a "ticking time bomb" and urged stakeholders to find solutions. Amid raging language rows in some states and claims of Hindi imposition, including in Maharashtra, he noted it is not in India's character or culture to have bitterness in the name of language. "This country always managed to fight external aggression. But when it comes to internal matters, what happened in the past? In 1947, India was Partitioned because of internal implosion. People following an ideology announced they don't want to live with the rest of us. This ideology broke our nation," emphasised Mr Ravi. The Tamil Nadu Governor was addressing students and faculty members at the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), Gandhinagar, on the occasion of commencement of the academic year 2025-2026. "Is anyone concerned about the changes in demography which took place in Assam, West Bengal and Purvanchal (parts of UP and Bihar) during the last 30-40 years? Can anyone predict today that in the coming 50 years, work for partitioning the nation will not happen in these areas?" he asked. "We should conduct a study on the sensitive demography growing in some regions and what will be its future. This issue is like a ticking time bomb. We have to think about how we will deal with this issue in the future and start finding solutions from today itself," stressed the former IPS officer. According to him, a country's military strength was not adequate enough to deal with internal disturbances. Mr Ravi argued the Soviet Union would not have disintegrated in 1991 if its military strength had been sufficient to handle internal problems. Amid the ongoing rows over language in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Mr Ravi said it is not India's character to have bitterness in the name of language. "After independence, we started fighting with each other. One of the reasons was language. They (those advocating states based on linguistic identity) called it linguistic nationalism," the Governor maintained. He pointed out that central leadership has time and again made it clear all Indian languages are in the same league and deserve equal respect. "Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said on numerous occasions that all Indian languages are our national languages and we respect each one of them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also said that at least primary education should be imparted in local languages in each state," said Mr Ravi. The Governor insisted bitterness among people in the name of language is not part of India's ethos. "It is not in the character of India to have bitterness among ourselves in the name of is not in our culture. After independence, we lost our sense of nationhood. As a result, our diversity, which was our strength, became a weakness," he added.
Indian Express
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Gujarat Confidential: One Note, Seven Languages
As a debate and controversy over a two vs three-language education system for school children rages on in several states, including Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), which hosted Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Tuesday, adopted a diplomatic approach. The RRU sent out its press note on the inauguration of its 2025-26 academic year, at which Ravi was the keynote speaker, in seven languages — English, Gujarati, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, and Urdu. The Governor, meanwhile, addressed the staffers and students mostly in English with a blend of Hindi and a few verses of Sanskrit.
Indian Express
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Linguistic division of states after Independence has created second-class citizens: Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi
While citing the example of his own state, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Tuesday criticised the 'linguistic division of states', saying it had created 'second-class citizens'. Speaking at the inauguration of the academic year 2025-26 at the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), Gandhinagar, Ravi also praised Operation Sindoor, stating that it would go down in history as an example of 'how a country can achieve its political objective through military means in a short, swift manner', and how, the world over, it was 'easy' to start a war but not as simple to end it. According to Ravi, before Independence, the country was 'united' even though there was no single national central government. After Independence, he said, 'we have started fighting with each other… what they call linguistic nationalism'. He said, 'Within a decade of our Independence, there had to be a linguistic reorganisation of Bharat and this happened following violent protests in many parts of the country… people had started refusing to live with each other. When we created linguistic states, a large population became second-class citizens…' He said, 'In my own state Tamil Nadu… people of different languages — Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi… they all live together but the moment it became a linguistic state, one third of the population became a second-class citizen. It happened in other parts also.' The TN Governor said, 'Something went wrong after Independence… The rashtra (nation) was taken in a direction that created division among our people in every conceivable way. So much so that the government began accepting as if it was an inevitable natural phenomena. This is reflected in the administrative (reforms) commission report. In 2008, the central government commissioned it. It was a voluminous report on conflict management, countering terrorism and if you read it, you will see how the government viewed the country.' According to him, the creation of an 'ethnicity-based state' was 'an attack, an assault on the spirit of Bharat rashtra.' The Governor said, 'Looking at Bharat, the land that celebrated its diversity, every diversity was viewed as a difference… we must remember that the republic of Bharat was born after Independence, but as a rashtra, it has been there for 5,000 years. Unfortunately, after Independence, the consciousness of a rashtra got weakened.' Governor Ravi praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for setting up the RRU in 2009, during the latter's stint as the Gujarat Chief Minister, citing the various terror attack incidents in the country in the preceding years, and said that the institution 'has to remain aligned with his (the PM's) vision.' A former IPS officer who has served in the Intelligence Bureau with assignments in Jammu & Kashmir, the North East and Maoist regions, Governor Ravi said that until 2014 the 'entire Northeast was burning' but now it is 'far, far near normal'. 'Northeast violence has reduced to insignificance,' he said, crediting the building of infrastructure like new airports, four-lane roads, digital connectivity, Railways and so on. He said, 'Because if you understand the organising principle of rashtra, we will be able to find solutions to our internal security problems in a way that will not create more problems but you will be able to resolve them. Because what we created before the PM came, was (that) in the course of finding solutions, we created more problems.' Criticising the creation of Nagaland as an 'ethnicity-based state', he said that the violence did not end and the region started getting 'vivisected'. He said, 'They created a homeland for Mizos, another for Garo and Khasi in Meghalaya, and even within Assam, there are more than 20 ethnicity-based homelands created under statutory provisions. You kept creating homelands for ethnic groups and within them, there are sub-groups which started fighting. It was like a nuclear reaction. It was a fission reaction. Society started breaking and from a peaceful region, it turned into more than 50 armed organisations.'
Indian Express
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Akash, Brahmos now battle-tested; counter-drone ops will remain expensive: Maj Gen Gaurav Bagga on Op Sindoor
While the lower house of Parliament on Monday morning began a 16-hour debate on Operation Sindoor and the events following the terrorist attack at Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in April this year, Major General Gaurav Bagga, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Golden Katar Division, spoke on the same topic at the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gandhinagar. Bagga has been delivering lectures at several universities and higher educational institutions on Operation Sindoor. After a lecture at Karnavati University and RRU, the Major General is set to speak at IIMA on July 30, said an Army spokesperson. In a roughly hour-long lecture to students and faculty members at RRU, Bagga highlighted the threat of information warfare and narrative shaping, the need for greater self-reliance in weapon technologies and the asymmetry caused by cheap armed drones in modern warfare. From expounding on the Islamisation of the Pakistani Army to his thoughts on a multi-front war, Bagga touched on a number of topics, including how long deployed weapons in India's arsenal had finally seen combat for the first time. 'A lot of systems, which were never (battle) tested, got tested. Akash was made, but never tested. Now it's battle-hardened. They've been pretty successful. Brahmos missile was made, jointly manufactured with Russia, but never tested. They got tested. The S-400 was bought and deployed, but never tested. The scores of drones and anti-drone systems, many in trial stages, were tested and so Operation Sindoor has had several advantages for the armed forces. Many cannot be put in an open domain as yet,' said Major General Bagga. Here he was referring to the Akash Surface-To-Air (SAM) missile system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that is an integral part of India's Air Defence shield. The S-400 missile system is another air defence system, this one imported from Russia. The Brahmos, meanwhile, is a supersonic cruise missile used in offence operations and is deployed with all three wings of the Indian military. Taking a question on indigenisation of weapons systems, Bagga said, 'Self-dependence or 'atmanirbharta' has come to the fore. If you remember, during Operation Vijay (1999 Kargil war), there was a challenge of ammunition shortage. It was not indigenous and we had to procure it from the world market. The 155-mm howitzer ammunition was not available and that was the first time we felt, in the middle of a war, that ammunition was not available. Atmanirbharta is thus a challenge we need to work on.' On modern warfare, often conducted beyond visual range, Bagga said, 'We are adapting to a new type of warfare because this time, nobody crossed the line of control, it was all by air. The whole battle changed and went towards a zone we had not anticipated in numbers and intensity. These are lessons we have learnt as a nation. Your security is directly proportional to the money you invest in it. To keep such a huge armed forces is an expensive business so that country has to balance and it is doing that.' On India's preparedness for a multi-front war, Bagga said, 'Multi-front war is a reality, and to the best of our abilities, we are ready. Capability development is a constant process, it is a very slow and long-drawn process, which is happening. Human resources are being built, trained and a lot of situations and scenarios are being played up during preparation.' He further added, 'Preparation is a direct function of the kind of resources you have, the kind of supply chain that runs from many countries. So if we have a long-drawn war, we will have to look to friendly foreign countries where we will get our logistics supplies. That happens to be a challenge we are overcoming through 'atmanirbharta'.' On a question on the asymmetry between expensive anti-drone weapon systems and the relatively cheap attack drones used in modern warfare, Bagga said, 'The anti-drone systems involve many things. It has a soft kill and a hard kill. Soft kills have ranges of 70-80 km unlike missiles whose ranges vary from 200-300-400 km… there is no refuting the fact that a small Chinese or Turkish drone is being countered by a missile. But that's how it is. Now the question is do we have a cheap missile? We don't. Do we have a cheap system that can hit at long ranges? We don't. Should we allow that armed drone to come in and hope that our close-in systems will be able to (counter it)? These challenges remain, and that is why people are switching to lower-cost options like drones to cause damage. If you read about the Russia-Ukraine war, you will see most of the successful operations being done by drones because they are low-cost.' Speaking about drone warfare during the short India-Pakistan conflict, Maj Gen Bagga said, 'It's not just the Pakistanis who did it. We did the same to them and they didn't even have a counter for them (our drones). How did we reach their Lahore airport? It was our loitering munitions. At least we had counters, we did not allow them to damage any of our critical assets, including population centres or military stations. Counter (drone operations) will be more expensive till we get a cheaper option and no cheaper option is on the horizon (at the moment).' He also talked about the initial targeting of terrorist camps across the border in the first phase of Operation Sindoor. 'India's western front stretches from Point NJ9842 at Siachen Glacier to Sir Creek in Gujarat. (When hostilities take place) we are supposed to work in a particular fashion. This time, the challenge was to do things not as we usually do. They were expecting us to reply in a particular way — which we did not do. The targets were not restricted to J&K. They were thinking that we would react in a certain way like we did after Uri. They expected something towards J&K, but we had different plans.' 'There was a pool of targets because the command and control element of the terrorists were there. From 21, ultimately 9 targets were chosen and based on certain factors, vectors were chosen. Seven were destroyed by the Indian Army, two by the Air Force and a communique was sent to Pakistan that this is what we wanted to do, and this is not related to your military or nation, but (this is) against terrorism. These (targets) included Sawai Nala, Syedna Bilal, Kotli Abbas, Kotli Gulpur, and Bhimber in POJK; and Bahawalpur, Muridke, Mehmoona Joya, and Sarjal in Pakistan,' he added. On selection of targets, Bagga said, 'The camps are far more than 21, but we selected them because at that point in time, they were active. The others may also not exist after our strikes because the terrorists need to have flexibility to move. They were not expecting Muridke and Bahawalpur, which had been terrorism headquarters for many years, to be hit. The network is flexible and in motion. When nine were hit, the other 12 weren't there anymore. ' Speaking on the state of the Pakistan Army, Major General Bagga said, 'The islamisation of the Pakistan Army began when Zia-Ul-Haq was in power in the 1980s. Armies of all countries are apolitical and have no religion. He islamicised the Army and once you do that, the whole outlook changes. Then, the eastern neighbour becomes the Hindu eastern neighbour and that gives you a different dynamic.' Bagga added, 'Pakistan has troubles on its own western borders. On one hand there is Balochistan, and on the other, there is KPK (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). They are in tumult and they must fight. The Pakistan Army is always under pressure because in Balochistan there are operations being carried out against the Pakistani Army every day. And when the Pakistani Army comes under pressure, they look to India. In India they can't do much anywhere, so they go to J&K and carry out terrorist attacks through Hafiz Saeed of the LeT and Masood Azhar of the JeM.' On the political situation in Pakistan, Bagga further said, 'There is an issue whenever there is greater political assertiveness in Pakistan. Whoever becomes stronger, put him in jail or hang him — that's what Pakistan does. The moment Imran Khan became a little stronger and began questioning the Army, and the people began fighting them, he went to jail.'
