Sending rakhis to soldiers, a signal to anti-nationals: Parrikar

Sending rakhis to soldiers posted on India's borders will send a strong signal to those with "anti-national" and "extra-terrestrial" mindset that the country will not compromise on matters related to defence, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said here on Saturday.

"Our country will not compromise on matters related to defence... We want to convey this signal on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, so those who have anti-national or extra-terrestrial thoughts know this," Parrikar said at a function organised by a local trust which collected several thousand rakhis to be sent to soldiers posted on India's borders.

The defence minister said some people in India were suffering from a "Stockholm Syndrome" -- a psychological condition where captives develop sympathy for captors -- and needed to be roused from it.

Parrikar cited incidents in Jammu and Kashmir to back his Stockholm Syndrome claim.

"If someone is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, he will awaken. There are people like this... In Kashmir, the problem is double-ended. On one hand, we fight foreign terrorists. Some days back, we encountered a terrorist and shot him. The same soldiers were stoned by local villagers. These incidents are borne out of misguidance," Parrikar said.

On the importance of sending rakhis to soldiers, Parrikar said that while the band does not increase the potency of bullets, the act conveys a positive attitude.

"The coming generation should understand how important a positive attitude is. The rakhi does not ensure more bullets in your gun, nor does it increase the potency of the bullet, but the impact a rakhi has on the mind is incredible," he said.