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New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) For over a decade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned his Diwali celebrations into a national ritual, choosing to celebrate the festival of lights with the country’s armed forces on the country’s most challenging borders, plains or mountains. This unique tradition reached a new height this year when the Prime Minister on Monday spent the Festival of Lights with naval personnel aboard INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier, off the Goa and Karwar coasts.
Addressing sailors and officers on the deck of the formidable warship, PM Modi reaffirmed the core message of his annual pilgrimage: that the men and women in uniform are his “family”.
He said, “Celebrating Diwali with my family has become my habit and that is why I come every year to celebrate Diwali with my family.”
Describing the powerful view of the indigenous carrier at sea, he commented: “Today, on one hand, I have the infinite horizon and the infinite sky, and on the other, I have this giant, INS Vikrant, a symbol of infinite powers.”
‘Always with you’
This practice originated before his tenure as Prime Minister. It started in Gujarat in 2001, when then Chief Minister Modi (as CM) decided to celebrate his first Diwali in Kutch, a region that was reeling after a devastating earthquake. According to a post on
In 2009, while Chief Minister of Gujarat, his visit to Nathu La on the India-China border reinforced his philosophy. His inscription in the visitor’s book – which states that the duty of soldiers is not mere service, but ‘Sadhana’ (spiritual endeavour) and ‘Tapasya’ (penance) – ended with the defining promise: “Always with you.”
“My hearty Diwali wishes to the brave soldiers dedicated to our motherland. It is a privilege for me to celebrate Diwali with our soldiers at the border. India is proud of you. Your duty is not just service; it is ‘sadhana’, it is ‘tapasya’. May God bless you and your family with happiness, peace and fulfillment. Always with you. Narendra Modi. Diwali. 16 October 2009,” he said. wrote.
Diwali with armed forces on India’s borders
Since 2014, PM Modi has kept this pledge year after year, turning it into a defining feature of his leadership. Each trip is carefully selected, often selecting positions that represent the most challenging boundaries and strategic locations.
His first Diwali as Prime Minister in 2014 set a high bar, celebrating with troops at the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield. The years that followed saw them cross the country’s most sensitive border areas, including the Punjab border in 2015, the high altitude post of Sumdoh near the China border in Himachal Pradesh in 2016 and the difficult terrain of Gurez sector in North Kashmir in 2017.
He has celebrated Diwali with the Defense Forces at Harsil in Uttarakhand (2018), Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir (2019), the famous desert outpost of Longewala in Rajasthan (2020), Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir (2021), Kargil in Ladakh (2022), Lepcha in Himachal Pradesh (2023), and Sir Creek. Gujarat (2024).
INS Vikrant’s visit to the coasts of Goa and Karwar this year was a powerful extension of this tradition, underscoring the vital role of India’s naval power and maritime security.
Major morale booster for the armed forces
This tradition established by PM Modi serves many purposes beyond a mere symbolic gesture. It is a significant morale booster for the armed forces, conveying a sense of genuine connectedness from the highest office in the country to every soldier deployed in remote locations. By sharing the warmth of the festival in cold, isolated outposts or on the open sea, he effectively brings the entire nation’s “family” to the border.
–IANS
Mister/Red