Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Tuesday, made an appeal to the private sector to provide employment opportunities to about 60,000 soldiers who retire at a very young age every year, saying these disciplined ex-servicemen were capable of understanding the most complex technology and using it proficiently.

He said the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare was carrying out the task of ensuring employment for the veterans and the industry could make a special contribution in this direction.

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“The government does not consider ex-servicemen as a liability, but we see them as valuable assets, who are not only disciplined and an inspiration to society but also equally effective as a workforce. By including them, the private companies can increase their productivity and help these ex-servicemen lead a dignified life,” Rajnath said, addressing the Armed Forces Flag Day Conclave.

He also launched on the occasion a new website for the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (www.affdf.gov.in). The portal is an interactive and user-friendly portal developed to promote online contributions to the fund.

The minister appealed to the people to contribute generously to the fund, terming it the moral responsibility of every citizen to ensure the welfare of the soldiers and their families. He made a special mention of a soldier’s message enshrined on the Kohima War Memorial in Nagaland, which read ‘When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today’.

Rajnath said, “Since independence, whether it was to win wars or counter terrorist activities from across the border, our soldiers have given a befitting reply to all challenges with courage and promptness. In the process, many of them made the supreme sacrifice and many became physically disabled. The entire responsibility of their family rests on them. It is, therefore, our ultimate responsibility to come forward and support our soldiers and their families in every way possible. It is because of our brave soldiers, who are always alert at the borders, we sleep peacefully and live our lives without fear.”

He also threw light on the fact that a large number of military personnel retire at the age of 35 to 40 years so that the youthful profile of the armed forces was maintained. He described this as another reason for the people to extend all possible help to the ex-servicemen and their dependents.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to the welfare of the country’s bravehearts, Rajnath stated that a number of initiatives have been taken in this direction.

He asserted that “the welfare of soldiers, who ensure our national security, should not be the responsibility of only the government, but it should be the duty of all”.

He emphasised that industries and businesses could never flourish in a country where national security was not strong. Appreciating the support of big corporate donors in the last few years, which has led to a substantial increase in the fund, he exhorted the fraternity to contribute even more to the well-being of the soldiers and the nation at large.

With top corporate heads in attendance at the event, Rajnath stated that the government recognised the power of the private sector and its role in the progress of the country as soon as it came to power in 2014, adding that the defence sector, which was always considered untouched for the private companies, was now fully prepared to welcome them.