M’s surprise visit to Siachen; celebrates Diwali with officers and jawans of the Indian Armed Forces
PM to jawans: I come to celebrate my first Diwali as PM with you. Happy to be among my own.
PM to jawans: You make it possible for 125 crore Indians to celebrate Diwali happily.
“Your dreams and responsibilities are the responsibility of us all. The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with you.”
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi,
today made a surprise visit to Siachen. Addressing officers and jawans
of the Indian Armed Forces at Siachen Base Camp at a height of over
12,000 feet, he praised their valour and courage, saying that 125 crore
Indians could celebrate Diwali today, and go about their lives in
comfort, because the jawans stood guard at the borders, prepared to make
every sacrifice for the nation. The nation is proud of all three wings
of the armed forces, the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister said he had come
unannounced, and the jawans may be surprised, but one does not need to
announce arrival when coming to one’s own (family).
The Prime Minister said the jawans at
Siachen worked in one of the remotest places in the world. It is a rare
opportunity to be called upon to defend the country in such difficult
conditions, he said.
Shri Narendra Modi said that he comes to
Siachen as a representative of the family members of the jawans who are
busy serving Mother India on the borders.
He said he is privileged that his first
Diwali as Prime Minister will be spent partly with the jawans of
Siachen, and partly with those affected by the floods in Srinagar.
The Prime Minister said the Indian Armed
Forces were unique – because while they spelt trouble for the enemy on
the battlefield, they spelt life for all the countrymen affected by
disasters or natural calamities. He recalled the immense contribution
made by the Armed Forces during the recent floods in Srinagar.
The Prime Minister also appreciated the
fact that women too were now contributing to the Indian Armed Forces in a
significant way.
Sharing the pain and anguish of those
who lose their loved ones in these difficult conditions, the Prime
Minister said sometimes a body is found years later, and many still
wait. He said one has to witness first-hand, the conditions at Siachen
to appreciate the hardship that the jawans go through.
The Prime Minister assured the jawans
that wherever they are, and serving or retired, the country stands
shoulder to shoulder with them. He said their dreams and
responsibilities are the entire country’s responsibility. He said he
would do his utmost to ensure a life of dignity for them. The Prime
Minister said the promise of One Rank, One Pension had been fulfilled,
and preparations were being made for a National War Memorial, that we
could all be proud of. The Prime Minister wished the entire country
“Happy Diwali” from the icy heights of Siachen, adding that as
countrymen light diyas today, they should recall that the warmth of the
earthen lamps has been fuelled by the sweat and toil of the jawans of
the Indian Armed Forces. Let those jawans inspire the rest of the
country to work towards achieving the dreams and aspirations of the
common man, he added.
The Prime Minister later handed over a
cheque for Rs. 5 lakh for the welfare of the jawans, and personally
offered sweets to the jawans. He wrote in the visitors’ book, saying
that the soldiers in uniform who guarded the nation’s frontiers in such
difficult conditions were no less than ‘rishis’ and sages. The Prime
Minister was at Siachen Base Camp for over an hour.
Source: PIB News
