Keeping in with his tradition of spending Diwali with armed forces, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent this Diwali with the forces in Kargil. Addressing the brave jawans, he said that the reverence for the soil of Kargil always draws him towards the brave sons and daughters of the armed forces.
“For years, you have been a part of my family”, he said. The Prime Minister underlined that the sweetness of Diwali increases in the presence of the jawans and the light of Diwali that is present among them emboldens his spirit.
“On one side there are the sovereign borders of the nation, and on the other committed soldiers, On one we have the love of the soil of the motherland, and on the other, there are braveheart jawans. I could not have expected a Diwali of such magnitude anywhere else”.
Modi remarked that India gleefully celebrates these sagas of valour and bravery that are part of our traditions and cultures. “Today, from the victorious lands of Kargil,” the Prime Minister said, “I wish a very happy Diwali to everyone in India and the world.”
The Prime Minister underlined that there have been no such wars against Pakistan when Kargil did not hoist the Tricolour after emerging victorious. Remarking on India’s longing in the world of today, the Prime Minister wished that the festival of lights illuminates the path of peace and prosperity in the current geopolitical landscape of today.
Explaining the significance of Diwali, the Prime Minister said, “It is the festival of the end of terror.” Drawing an analogy to Diwali the Prime Minister remarked that Kargil had done exactly the same and the celebrations of the victory are remembered even today.”
He recalled that he was a witness to the Kargil war and had watched it closely. He expressed gratitude toward the authorities for preserving and showing 23-year-old photographs of the Prime Minister when he had come to spend time with the jawans when they were giving a befitting reply to the enemies during the war.
“As an ordinary citizen, my Kartavya Path had led me to the battlefield”, Modi remarked. He remembered that he had come to drop off the supplies put together by the countrymen and said that it was a moment of worship for him. Remarking on the atmosphere during the time, the Prime Minister said that it was the call of every individual to commit mind, body and soul to the cause, and the cheers of victory filled the air around us.
