Colonel Sofia Qureshi called on Gen Z to become protectors and not spectators, also explained the meaning of the changing art of warfare.

In the Chanakya Defense Dialogue of the Indian Army, Colonel Sophia Qureshi, while addressing the youth leadership i.e. Gen G, said that “National security should not be only the responsibility of the soldiers deployed on the border, but should be the common pledge of every young Indian.” Drawing lessons from recent military operations like Operation Sindoor, he said that today’s warfare is changing rapidly—wars are now being fought not just with guns, but with drones, cyber and electronic technology.

Describing youth participation as the backbone of national security, Colonel Qureshi said that in a huge democracy like India, youth can empower security not only by becoming soldiers but also in technology, research, policy and diplomacy. Citing UN data, he said that the role of youth in peacekeeping and conflict management is continuously increasing across the world and India should lead this trend.

If seen, India’s defense today is being decided not only on the borders, but also in cyber space, technical laboratories, and the energy of young minds. Colonel Sophia Qureshi’s message highlights the reality that in the coming decade the battlefield will be digital and the identity of a soldier will be decided by his thinking, innovation and awareness.

There are two clear messages in Colonel Qureshi’s words – first, that India’s security system needs the active cooperation of the common people; And secondly, that the creative power of the youth should no longer be limited to social campaigns only and should be transformed into the strategic power of the nation. He gave the example of “Operation Sindoor” because it has become a symbol of modern warfare. It was a campaign where precision, technology and a multi-pronged strategy led to decisive success. This is the same thinking that is changing the war of the 21st century from a traditional military conflict to an intellectual and technological conflict.

Today India has about 65% of its population below 35 years of age, it is this population that will shape not only the country’s economy but also the national security architecture in the years to come. In this context, Colonel Qureshi’s statement that “Every youth is the first line of defense of the country” is not just a motivational sentence, but a policy maxim. If seen, security now depends more on ‘power of intelligence’ than ‘power of gun’. Now only that country will be ahead in cyber warfare, drone missions, data-security, and information campaigns, whose youth are technically competent, patriotic and strategically aware. That is why this message of Colonel Qureshi expands the definition of national security to the democratic realm. In this, along with soldiers, innovators, engineers, hackers, scientists and policy makers – all have been given an equal role.

If India harnesses the energy of its youth in the right direction, this power will become not just a means of employment or development, but a strategic asset. Colonel Qureshi’s call that the youth should not become mere “spectators” but “protectors” is the most powerful national inspiration of today. Colonel Sophia Qureshi has made it clear that the future of national security will be written not by weapons but by ideas. The youth of India now have to decide whether they will be creators of that future or spectators.