The Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today celebrated Diwali with Army Jawans at Sumdo near the India-China border, in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh.
He interacted with jawans from the ITBP and the Indian Army, and offered sweets to them.
He mentioned the tremendous response from people across the country, to his appeal for sending messages to soldiers as part of the #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign.
The Prime Minister said that giving One Rank One Pension to ex-servicemen was a promise that he had made, and he was happy that he had been able to fulfil it.
The Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Dalbir Singh, was present on the occasion.
While returning from Sumdo, the Prime Minister halted briefly at a nearby village – Chango. He exchanged Diwali greetings, interacted with the people there, and offered sweets to children.
The Prime Minister, in his address to the nation this morning, said that “We sleep peacefully because you guard our borders.”
“Be it the BSF (Border Security Force), CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force), Assam Rifles, ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police), Navy, Air Force, our jawans are on duty and guarding us. That is why we are celebrating Diwali joyfully,” the Prime Minister said. “There is not one child in the country who doesn’t have respect and love for our armed forces,” he added.
