Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh) [India]: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday extended his wishes on Vijayadashami to the troops during his visit to the India-China border at Arunachal’s Bum La.
He appreciated the efforts of the soldiers in securing the borders of the country in sub-minus temperatures at an altitude of 15000 feet above sea level.
“I wanted to see the tougher conditions in which our soldiers were securing India’s borders,” Rajnath Singh told troops.
The Bum La Pass is a border pass between China’s Tsona County in Tibet and India’s Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh.
He mentioned that Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande, who is accompanying him, during his 2-day visit, had been informing him about the conditions of the troops.
“But I was keen and eager to see it with my own eyes, he said, adding, “Atmosphere too is unfavourable at an altitude of 15,000 feet above sea level”.
He lauded the troops for working in conditions when temperatures drop to minus degrees Celsius. “But you continue to work, showing unflinching resolve to protect India’s borders”.
He also paid tribute to 1962 war hero Subedar Joginder Singh at his memorial at Bum La in Arunachal Pradesh.
During the day, Rajnath Singh who on Monday arrived in Tezpur for a two-day visit to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh attended the wreath-laying ceremony, engaged with the security personnel deployed in the strategically vital Tawang sector, performed Shashtra Puja, held special prayers.
Rajnath Singh asserted that there is no option but to bolster the country’s security apparatus, underlining that all efforts are being made by the Government to strengthen the nation’s military prowess through indigenous production of defence equipment.
“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, giant strides have been made towards ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence. Earlier, we used to rely on imports to upgrade our military. But today, a number of major weapons & platforms are being manufactured within the country. Foreign companies are being encouraged to share their technology and produce the equipment in India with domestic industry. In 2014, the value of defence exports was about Rs 1,000 crore, but today we are exporting defence equipment worth thousands of crores,” he said.
The Defence Minister also visited the 4 Corps Headquarters at Tezpur in Assam. During the visit, he reviewed the operational readiness of the formation, which is deployed in one of the easternmost parts of the country. The Defence Minister was briefed on the infrastructure development along the LAC and the employment of cutting-edge military equipment and technology to enhance the operational efficiency of the troops deployed in the frontline
