Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to celebrate Diwali with soldiers in Tawang
NEW DELHI, OCT 26 : Amidst the thaw between India and China regarding the standoff in Eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will celebrate Diwali, with the soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang on October 31.
According to sources in the defence and security establishment, the Defence Minister is likely to be with the troops in the Tawang sector on the occasion of Diwali. Tawang happens to be a base for men in Uniforms including those of the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
While the Defence Minister is in Tawang, the area will witness the flagging-in ceremony of the Indian Air Force — Uttarakhand War Memorial car rally on October 30, in the presence of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Senior Minister Chowa Mein.
It is pertinent to mention that the Tawang sector witnessed the first artillery fire from the Chinese side during the 1962 India-China war. This sector also saw the last ceasefire implementation.
In December 2022, Indian and Chinese troops clashed near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along the Arunachal Pradesh border in the Tawang sector, resulting in injuries to soldiers on both sides.
Tawang town is inhabited by more than 50,000 people, referred to as Little Tibet by China. It is one of the contentious areas that China claims as its own. While tensions between India and China have persisted since April 2020 due to multiple standoffs in Eastern Ladakh, the final disengagement of troops from Depsang and Demchok is currently underway. The disengagement from other standoff points has been completed in the past.
In October 2023, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh carried out Shastra Puja with the troops in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, and also interacted with the soldiers deployed in frontline locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), celebrating Dussehra with them.
On December 9, 2022, the Tawang sector saw contact between PLA troops, which was contested by their own troops in a firm and resolute manner. This face-off led to minor injuries for a few personnel from both sides.
In March, Rajnath Singh celebrated Holi with the soldiers of the Indian Army in Leh and lauded them for protecting the country from enemies while braving extreme weather conditions.
-PTI
