This Diwali turned out to be extra special for Major Amit Kumar who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter's visit to Kargil to celebrate Diwali with soldiers. The young army officer had earlier met Narendra Modi, who was then the Gujarat Chief Minister, in November 2001 as a Sainik School student at Balachadi in the state.
Narendra Modi visited Sainik School in Balachadi in the Jamnagar district of the state in November 2001 as the Gujarat Chief Minister.
During his visit, he interacted with students of the school and conferred awards. Amit Kumar had received an award as a student from the Gujarat CM and today met the Prime Minister as a Major in the Indian Army. Amit Kumar is now posted as a Major in Kargil.
Prime Minister Modi received a warm welcome from jawans in Kargil. The jawans chanted 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' as PM Modi joined them on the day of Diwali. PM Modi also joined members of the armed forces in 'Vande Mataram' singalong.
"For me, all of you have been my family for years now. It is a privilege to spend Diwali with our brave jawans in Kargil," the Prime Minister said.
"The forces are the pillar of India's security. From this victorious land of Kargil, I wish the countrymen and the world a very happy Diwali. There has not been a single war with Pakistan where Kargil has not hoisted the flag of victory. The meaning of Diwali is end of atank (terror) and Kargil made it possible.
"In Kargil, our forces crushed terror. I was fortunate enough to be a witness. I was shown my old photos here, and I am grateful for that," he added.
The Prime Minister has been celebrating the festival with soldiers for several years now.In 2019, the Prime Minister celebrated Diwali with soldiers in the Rajouri district along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. He had called soldiers as his family and lauded them for guarding the borders even during festivals. He had exchanged Diwali greetings with the Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel at Pathankot Air Force Station.
In 2018, Prime Minister Modi had celebrated Diwali with jawans of the Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), at Harsil in Uttarakhand. Following that, he had offered prayers at the Kedarnath shrine. In 2017, the Prime Minister celebrated the festival of light with army soldiers and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in the Gurez Valley of Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora District.
In 2016, the PM went to Himachal Pradesh to celebrate the festival with Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel at an outpost.
He visited the Punjab border to celebrate Diwali with soldiers in 2015. In 2014, Prime Minister Modi spent Diwali in Siachen with soldiers.
Notably, PM Modi has been visiting soldiers on Diwali ever since he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
( With inputs from ANI )
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