COIMBATORE: Operation Sindoor reflected a Rudra-like resolve of Lord Shiva, defence minister Rajnath Singh said Sunday, while using the example to emphasise that societies governed by fear cannot remain secure and only a fearless people can build a strong nation.Addressing the 32nd Mahashivratri celebrations at Isha Yoga Centre, Singh framed fearlessness as a spiritual strength rather than a product of brute force. “Real security,” he said, “comes from inner confidence and national consciousness, not only from material capability.”Invoking Lord Shiva as a symbol of protection and destruction, Singh drew a parallel with the armed forces, which he described as blending patience and compassion with decisive strength. He pointed to humanitarian assistance during crises as an expression of protection and to operations such as Sindoor as moments when firmness become essential. Discipline and resolve of soldiers are rooted in India’s cultural foundations and inspiration drawn from Lord Shiva, he added.Singh cautioned that modern life’s fixation on material gain often erodes inner well-being. Spirituality helps restore balance and unlock human potential, allowing personal growth to translate into service to society and the nation, he said.India’s strength, he said, lies in cultural unity and a spiritual ethos that Union govt has sought to project globally. Yoga is a priceless Indian offering now embraced worldwide in renewed form, he added.Culture and science, often treated as separate, have long complemented each other in India, the minister said, calling space missions such as Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan and Aditya-L1 modern expressions of an ancient scientific spirit.Singh said service to humanity is service to Lord Shiva. He linked that idea to Centre’s welfare initiatives of the past decade across education, healthcare and living standards, alongside cultural projects, citing Ujjain Mahakal, Kashi Vishwanath and Somnath corridors and construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru described Mahashivratri as a night to be at one’s best, warning that failing to act on one’s capacity leads to decline. More than 2 lakh people attended, including political figures. Western Air Command, Army’s Southern Command and Western Naval Command were felicitated for the success of Op Sindoor.
