Rajnath Singh spends Holi with troops, calls Ladakh India’s ‘capital of valour’
Singh said he believed that festivals should first be celebrated with the protectors of the country and urged the three service chiefs to start a new tradition of celebrating festivals with soldiers a day earlier
New Delhi: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday celebrated Holi with soldiers deployed in Leh and called Ladakh India’s “capital of valour and bravery”. His description of the Union territory drew attention to the Indian Army’s role in guarding the country’s farthest frontiers where the Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a dragging standoff for almost four years.
“The entire country feels safe as our brave soldiers are protecting the borders. We are leading a happy life as our vigilant soldiers are ready at the borders. Every citizen is proud of the armed forces as they live far away from their families so that we celebrate Holi and other festivals with our families,” Singh said.
The country will forever be indebted to its soldiers, and their courage and sacrifices will inspire future generations, he said.
Singh was scheduled to spend Holi with soldiers deployed on the Siachen glacier, but the plan had to be shelved due to adverse weather on the world’s highest and coldest battleground. The minister extended his greetings to soldiers deployed in Siachen over the phone and promised to visit them soon.
The “positive commitment” of the soldiers posted at high altitudes is much stronger than “minus temperatures”, Singh said. Ladakh is India’s capital of valour and bravery, just as Delhi is the national capital, Mumbai the financial capital and Bengaluru the technology capital, Singh said.
Singh, who was accompanied by army chief General Manoj Pande, said he decided to celebrate Holi with the soldiers a day before the festival as he believed that festivals should first be celebrated with the protectors of the country. He urged the three service chiefs to start a new tradition of celebrating festivals with soldiers a day earlier.
“Such celebrations with soldiers on the snowy peaks of Kargil, in the scorching plains of Rajasthan and the submarines in the deep seas should become an integral part of our culture,” he said.
Singh’s Ladakh visit came at a time when India and China were in talks to cool tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
Indian and Chinese senior military commanders concluded the 21st round of talks on February 19, 2024. They agreed to continue the military dialogue and maintain peace, but there was no immediate breakthrough.
Despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15), the Indian and Chinese armies still have tens of thousands of troops each and advanced weaponry deployed in the Ladakh theatre. Problems at Depsang and Demchok are still on the negotiating table.
