Lepcha: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today celebrated Diwali with the brave jawans of Indian security forces in Lepcha, Himachal Pradesh, and said spending the day with them was an experience “filled with deep emotion and pride”.
“Country is grateful and indebted to you for this. That is why one ‘Diya’ is lit for your safety in every household,” he said.
Lauding the Armed forces for having taken India’s pride to new heights, he told the jawans, “The place where jawans are posted is not less than any temple for me. Wherever you are, my festival is there”.
He described the situation of being away from family on the day of the festival for safeguarding the border as the pinnacle of devotion to duty. He said that the feeling of treating 140 crore Indians as their family gives the security personnel a sense of purpose.
The Prime Minister paid tribute to the jawans and the tradition of sacrifice by the armed forces. “Our brave jawans have proven themselves to be the strongest wall on the border”, he said. “Our brave jawans have always won the hearts of the citizens by snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.” the Prime Minister said as he highlighted the contributions of the armed forces in nation-building. He mentioned natural calamities like earthquakes and tsunamis as well as international peace missions where the armed forces have saved numerous lives. “Armed forces have taken India’s pride to new heights”, he remarked. The Prime Minister also mentioned proposing a memorial hall for peacekeepers at the United Nations last year which was unanimously passed and said that it will immortalize their contributions towards establishing world peace.
Underlining the role of Indian armed forces in evacuation missions not only for Indians but for foreign nationals as well, the Prime Minister recalled the successful evacuation carried out from the turmoil in Sudan and the rescue mission after the earthquake in Turkiye. “From the combat field to rescue missions, Indian armed forces are committed to saving lives”, the Prime Minister said. He added that every citizen feels pride in the country’s armed forces.
Pointing towards the global expectations from India in the current world scenario, the Prime Minister reiterated the importance of the secured border, peace and stability in the country. “India is safe as its borders are protected by the brave jawans with Himalaya-like determination”, he said.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the country can strive for a better future as long as its borders remain guarded. He credited the development of India to the strength, resolutions and sacrifices of the armed forces. He also highlighted India’s growth in the defence sector and its emergence as a global player and said that the strength of India’s armies and security forces is continuously increasing. He informed that India’s defence exports have increased more than 8 times since the PM visited the region in 2016. “Defence production worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore is taking place in the country today. This is a record in itself”, he added.
Modi touched upon the integration of high-tech technology and important systems like Combined Defence Services (CDS) and said that the Indian Army is continuously becoming more modern. He added that India will no longer have to look towards other countries in times of need in the near future. Amidst this increasing spread of technology, Modi urged the armed forces to always keep human understanding paramount in the use of technology. He emphasized that technology should never overpower human sensibilities.
The Prime Minister also referred to Narishakti and mentioned the commissioning of 500 Women Officers during the past year, women pilots flying Rafale fighter jets, and the posting of women officers on warships.
Speaking about the importance of taking care of the needs of the armed forces, he mentioned dresses suitable for extreme temperatures, drones to augment and protect jawans and payment of 90 thousand crore under the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme.
– global bihari bureau
