Changing nature of war: Def Min says mobile phones now have longer reach than missiles

Chandigarh: Apparently referring to the impact of social media in conflicts between nations, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said the reach of the mobile phone now was bigger than that of a missile.

Addressing the annual Military Literature Festival here, Singh warned that different kinds of security threats may emerge in the future. This event is important from another point of view, he said through video conference. "As times change, the nature of threats and wars is also changing. In the future, other security-related issues may come before us.

He added that conflicts are gradually becoming comprehensive in the manner never imagined earlier. Possibly alluding to the power of social media and mobile apps, he said, Today the range (marakKshamta) of a mobile has crossed even the reach of a missile, he said. He added that the enemy can now reach people even without crossing any borders, and urged everyone to play the role of a soldier.

We should remain alive to these dangers and save ourselves from wrong and misleading information and save others too, and festivals like this can play a key role in this, he said, urging literary figures to make use of their talent to the full for this.