PM Modi calls soldiers his family, praises them for keeping border safe

PM Narendra Modi distributed sweets to the soldiers and called them his family and hailed them for maintaining a strict vigil on the borders even during festivals.

Pic courtesy: Twitter/@narendramodi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with soldiers near Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district. PM Modi distributed sweets to the soldiers and called them his family. The prime minister hailed the soldiers for maintaining a strict vigil on the borders even during festivals.

"It is a tradition that people celebrate Diwali with their families. I also decided to celebrate it with my family. I have come here to celebrate it with you. You are my family," PM Modi said while addressing a gathering of army personnel.

Diwali is sweeter when celebrated with our brave soldiers. pic.twitter.com/skO2SfcwJ3 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 27, 2019

PM Modi said that while ordinary people think about their families first, soldiers always put mother India first and take care of the security of 130 crore Indians.  "The country and your duty come first in your priority. All other things stand after that. But at the time of the festival, family members want you to celebrate Diwali with them but you keep guarding our borders," he said. 

Talking about Rajouri district, the prime minister said that this region is unique and it has had to suffer all. "There are many border areas but this region where you are, is unique. Be it war, insurgency, infiltration - this has had to suffer all of it&it has come out of that every time. It's a region which has never seen defeat. It's not only victorious but also invincible," noted PM Modi.

PM in Rajouri: There are many border areas but this region where you are, is unique. Be it war, insurgency, infiltration - this has had to suffer all of it&it has come out of that every time. It's a region which has never seen defeat. It's not only victorious but also invincible. pic.twitter.com/ULb9XQlYI7 — ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2019

In an indirect attack on Pakistan, PM Modi said that people across the border are trying to create disturbance in Kashmir but Indian Army has demolished their conspiracies. He added that now Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and some part of this region is currently under the control of Pakistan. PM Modi stressed that some parts of Jammu and Kashmir have been captured illegally by Pakistan and this still stings us.

PM Narendra Modi to Army jawans in Rajouri, J&K on Diwali : Time has changed. Our armed forces should be modern, our arms and ammunition should be modern. Our training should be at par with the global benchmark. There should be no lines of stress on the faces of our jawans. pic.twitter.com/TM4MiI7ILS — ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2019

"Our country was partitioned... lakhs died and became refugees. But we (have) no ill-will against them (Pakistan). But they hatched a conspiracy to take over Jammu and Kashmir. Our brave soldiers foiled their plans and today we are proud to have it as part of India. They managed to capture some part of it, they have occupied it illegally - it still stings us," he added.

PM Modi also said that time has changed and in the current scenario, it is necessary that armed forces adopt modern technology. "Time has changed. Our armed forces should be modern, our arms and ammunition should be modern. Our training should be at par with the global benchmark. There should be no lines of stress on the faces of our jawans," he noted.