Antony faces barrage of questions on security from young "scribes"

Defence Minister A K Antony on Thursday faced a barrage of questions on national security from three children posing as journalists for their school programme.

Defence Minister A K Antony on Thursday faced a barrage of questions on national security from three children posing as journalists for their school programme. At the NCC camp here, the 'journalists' from Noida-based Army Public School's 'News Buzz' channel asked if children of India were safe. "It is a serious question, not an innocent one," Antony quipped but quickly hastened to add that India was safer than most countries.

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"The security situation around India is becoming more and more challenging...more and more serious. But compared to the situation around, India is far, far better. India is safer for them than any other country in the world," he said. He assured children the armed forces were ready to meet any security challenge to the country's integrity.

"So you can be safe," he said. To another query on how children could contribute to the nation's security, Antony invited them and other youngsters to join the armed forces in large number.

On NCC's role in fighting terror, he said the threat was not from war between countries but from violence from non-state actors and terrorists and said children should show valour when terror takes place and also inform security forces immediately.