Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has celebrated Holi 2024 with the soldiers who are at the borders, safeguarding the nation, in Leh. He has also asked the Army Chief to establish a new tradition on festivals…
New Delhi: The first major festival of the Hindu calendar, Holi has arrived and ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024, everyone is celebrating the ‘festival of colours’ with great pomp and joy. This year, Holi 2024 was a little more special for soldiers in Leh as the Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh was in Leh to celebrate the festival, along with General Manoj Pande (Chief of Army Staff) and Lt Gen Rashim Bali, the General Officer Commanding, Fire and Fury Corps. While initially Rajnath Singh was to visit Siachen, he could only reach up till Leh due to the weather conditions. Here’s how the Defence Minister celebrated Holi with the soldiers in Leh…
Rajnath Singh Celebrates Holi With Soldiers In Leh
As mentioned earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday celebrated the festival of colours, Holi, with soldiers in Leh. He was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande and General Officer Commanding, Fire and Fury Corps Lt Gen Rashim Bali. The Raksha Mantri was intially scheduled to visit the Siachen area, the world’s highest battlefield, for the celebration but couldn’t do so due to the prevailing ‘inclement weather’. He spoke to the commanding officer deployed at Siachen over the phone and promised to visit them as soon as possible.
‘Visiting You All To Celebrate Holi Makes This One Of Happiest Moments For Me’
Speaking to jawans and other senior defence personnel on the occasion, the Raksha Mantri said, “If Delhi is our national capital, Ladakh is a capital of bravery and valour. Visiting you all to celebrate Holi makes this one of the happiest moments for me. Siachen is no ordinary land. It is an unshakeable symbol of India’s sovereignty and determination. It represents our national determination,” he said.
“I have said it many times before and will say it again: it is our duty to take care of you, your children, your parents…your family. We are always ready for that. I do not need to tell you here that with the same diligence with which you are working for this country by dedicating your body and mind, our government is also working for the betterment of our armed forces,” Rajnath added.
Defence Minister Asks General Manoj Pande To Establish New Tradition
On the occasion, Singh requested Army Chief Manoj Pande to establish a new tradition by telling the Air chief and Navy chief that whenever a festival comes around, they should ring in the celebrations the day before with soldiers and armed forces personnel deployed at the frontiers and protecting the country’s sovereignty in the face of grave adversities. From the snowy peaks of Kargil to the scorching deserts and plains of Rajasthan, or in a submarine deployed in the deep sea, the forces are ever-alert and awake to all external threats, the Raksha Mantri said.
The excitement for Holi has been quite high across the country in general with people thronging the markets to buy colours and ‘pichkari’ for their children. The Defence Minister’s visit to the soldiers in Leh would have definitely raised their excitement for the festival.
(Inputs from ANI)
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