- By Vivek Raj
- Sun, 12 Nov 2023 02:34 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday morning reached Lepcha in Himachal Pradesh to join soldiers in the Diwali celebrations. Upon his arrival, PM Modi took to the social media platform X, (formerly Twitter), and wrote, "Reached Lepcha in Himachal Pradesh to celebrate Diwali with our brave security forces." The PM also shared captivating pictures capturing the spirit of the occasion.
The courage of our security forces is unwavering. Stationed in the toughest terrains, away from their loved ones, their sacrifice and dedication keep us safe and secure. India will always be grateful to these heroes who are the perfect embodiment of bravery and resilience. pic.twitter.com/Ve1OuQuZXY
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 12, 2023
Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Indian Army troops are stationed at Lepcha near the border with China.
While speaking to soldiers at Lepcha, PM Modi said, "Given the situation in the world today, expectations from India are continuously increasing. In such a situation, it is important that India's borders remain secure. We are creating an atmosphere of peace in the country and you have a big role in this. India is safe as long as our Army stands firm and unshakable like the Himalayas, on its borders..."
Himachal Pradesh, sharing a 260-km porous border with China, has 140 km in the tribal Kinnaur district and 80 km in the tribal Lahaul and Spiti district. Five battalions of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are deployed across 20 posts to safeguard the border with China.
The Prime Minister's tradition of celebrating Diwali with the armed forces is not new. Last year, PM Modi celebrated Diwali with soldeirs in Kargil and had then said, “Diwali means the festival of end of terror and that Kargil had made it possible.”
In 2019, he joined soldiers in the Rajouri district along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
In 2018, Prime Minister Modi observed Diwali with jawans of the Indian Army and ITBP at Harsil in Uttarakhand, followed by prayers at the Kedarnath temple.
The tradition continued in 2017 when he celebrated the festival with army soldiers and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in the Gurez Valley of Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora District.
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In 2016, the Prime Minister visited Himachal Pradesh to celebrate Diwali with Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel at an outpost.
The preceding years saw him at the Punjab border in 2015 and spending Diwali in Siachen with soldiers in 2014.