Kachchh | Gujarat | India: Continuing the tradition of celebrating Diwali with the armed forces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended Diwali wishes to every soldier of the country on behalf of the 140 crore countrymen and applauded their unshakable willpower and immense courage, mentioning their hard work to safeguard country while sustaining in harsh and brutal conditions, whether its Himalaya’s glaciers or scorching deserts.
As PM Modi is celebrating Diwali with troops in Lakki Nala area of Kachchh, which is close to the Indo-Pakistan border, speaking to them, PM Modi said, “I wish a very Happy Diwali to all of you and to every soldier of the country deployed in the service of Mother India. These good wishes of mine also include the gratitude of 140 crore countrymen towards you and their gratitude as well. One gets this opportunity to serve the motherland with great fortune. This service is not easy. This is the devotion of those who consider the motherland as their everything. This is the penance and austerity of the sons and daughters of Mother India.”
“Somewhere there are Himalaya’s glaciers and temperatures less than 0 degrees, somewhere there are chilly winters while there are places where there are hot deserts with scorching sun and heat. There are lots of challenges… This practice tempers our soldiers to such an extent that our soldiers become like steel and shine, seeing which the soul of the enemy trembles, even they think that who will be able to defeat such soldiers who is not shaken even by such brutal conditions,” he added.
Applauding the “unshakable willpower” and “immense courage” of the soldiers, PM Modi expressed pride in their service and said that he is proud that soldiers of our country have proved themselves in every challenging conditions.
PM Modi stated, “This unshakable willpower of yours, this immense courage, the pinnacle of valour, when the country looks at you, it sees a guarantee of security and peace. When the world sees you, it sees the power of India and when the enemy sees you, it sees the end of their evil intentions. When you roar in enthusiasm, the masters of terror tremble. I am proud that the soldiers of our country have proved themselves in every challenging conditions.”
Recalling the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, PM Modi said that there were efforts to convert the Kachchh and Sir Creek area of Gujarat into a warzone and these areas have witnessed several conspiracies, but the “smashing answers” from the soldiers of the country have failed all such efforts.
“Today, when I am standing in Kachchh, the description for our Navy is equally important, as these coastal areas are important for India, as, it faces several conspiracies of the enemies. There were efforts to convert this area of Kachchh in a war zone. The country knows that evil intentions of enemies on the land of Sir Creek, but the people of this country are carefree, because you (security forces) are deployed here. Even they also know how you gave them a smashing answer in the 1971 war. That’s why nobody dares to look up on the lands of Sir Creek and Kachchh,” PM Modi said.
Lauding the efforts of the current BJP-led NDA government, PM Modi said that the policies of the government is made according to the resolutions of our forces. He added that they trust soldiers of the country and not the enemies.
He said, “At that time, as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, I raised voice for the country. This is not the first time I am visiting this area, I have been here for several times, Therefore, today when we have got this responsibility, our policies are made according to the resolutions of our forces. We trust not the words of the enemy but the resolve of our forces. We trust on the resolution of our armed forces, not on our enemies, that’s why, keeping in mind the needs of the twenty-first century, today we are equipping our armies, our security forces, with modern resources.”
PM Modi stated that India is equipping its military and security forces with modern resources, addressing the demands of the twenty-first century.
“We are putting our army in the league of the world’s most modern military forces. The basis of these efforts of ours is self-reliance in the defence sector…. Today India is building its own submarine. Today our Tejas fighter plane is becoming the strength of the Air Force.
Earlier, India was known as a country that imported weapons. Today, India is exporting defence equipment to many countries of the world. Today, Bharat cannot compromise on even an inch of its borders. That’s why our policies are aligned with the resolve of our armed forces. We trust the determination of our soldiers, not the words of our enemies,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi celebrated Diwali with personnel from the Border Security Force (BSF), Army, Navy, and Air Force at Lakki Nala in the Sir Creek area of Kachchh, Gujarat.
The area where the Prime Minister spent Diwali is notably inhospitable, with extreme temperatures and challenging terrain. PM Modi has observed this tradition with the troops every Diwali since he took office in 2014.Additionally, the Prime Minister honoured Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat, on National Unity Day.
He also attended a parade and observed an air show by the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team of the Indian Air Force.
