Keeping up with the Diwali spirit of spreading joy and light, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will celebrate the festival of lights with the troops posted in forward areas.
The Chinese frontier is the Diwali destination for PM Modi and Sitharaman today. While the defence minister will spend the festivities with troops in the Upper Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Prime Minister Modi is likely to visit Harsil in Uttarakhand and meet jawans of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) sources said. Harsil, is the last village bordering Tibet in the sector. The PM is likely to interact with approximately hundred ITBP soldiers there, sources said.
PM Modi and Defence Minister visiting the China border on Diwali is significant in the context of last year's faceoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Doklam. Earlier this year during Chinese defence minister Gen Wei Fenghe's visit to New Delhi, India urged China not to view its development work in the border areas with distrust.
India has been making efforts to give a push to infrastructure and development in terms of road connectivity, water supply and electricity in border areas. Before moving to Harsil, Modi will visit the Kedarnath shrine and offer prayers in the morning. Since 2014, PM Modi has been celebrating Diwali with troops in forward areas. In 2014, he celebrated the festival at Siachen and was at Amritsar in 2015. He visited Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh in 2016 and spent time with troops there.
Last year, the PM celebrated Diwali with Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers posted at Gurez along the Line of Control. Though last year's 73-day faceoff in Doklam had triggered a diplomatic row, relations between India and China have shown signs of getting back on track.
Indian troops stopped Chinese road construction in Doklam- a region under dispute between China and Bhutan. It was felt that road connectivity would give China direct access to the Siliguri corridor giving them strategic advantage and it had to be stopped since it violated the status quo agreed upon by the three countries.
The standoff ended after diplomatic intervention that was followed by a series of measures planned to restore relations after PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Wuhan in April. The India-China 'Hand in Hand' military exercise that was cancelled last year amid the row will be resumed as the armies of two countries will come together working on strategy and tactics in the war games to be held in December.
CRACKER OF A MOVE
PM Modi has been celebrating Diwali with jawans since 2014
- The Doklam standoff had strained diplomatic relations
- China stakes claim on entire Arunachal Pradesh
- China has always objected to Indian politicians visiting disputed areas
- Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will celebrate Diwali with troops at Upper Dibang Valley in Arunachal
- PM Modi will spend time with ITBP jawans at Harsil in Uttarakhand
- India has told China not to view development works in border areas with suspicion
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