Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday to inaugurate the Museum of Valour dedicated to Major Ralengnao Bob Khathing and unveil a statue of Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the border district. He will also celebrate Diwali with soldiers stationed along the India-China border. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi will also be present.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh will also join the event.
Sharing the information on social media, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu welcomed both Rajnath Singh and the Manipur Chief Minister to the state.
"The inauguration of Major Ralengnao Bob Khathing Museum of Valour and unveiling of Desh Ka Vallabh, the statue of Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Tawang, by him in the august presence of Hon'ble Manipur CM Shri @NBirenSingh ji and other dignitaries will be cherished by us for ages to come," Khandu posted in the micro-blogging site.
"The heroic deed of Major Ralengnao Bob Khathing, who bravely led an expedition in February 1951 to bring the Indian administration to Tawang, has no parallel in human history.
What 'Iron Man' Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel did as India's first Home Minister by integrating several princely states into the country leaves us forever indebted to him. I on behalf of the people of Arunachal Pradesh heartily welcome Hon Defence Minister Shri @rajnathsingh ji on the pious land of dawn-lit mountains," the chief minister said.
The two monuments dedicated to two great and brave souls will always remind us of their critical contributions to our country's integrity and sovereignty, the chief minister said in another social media post. Set against the backdrop of the eastern Himalayas, Tawang has long symbolised India's commitment to securing its borders. Rajnath’s visit comes at a time when India and China reached a breakthrough in patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.
Meanwhile, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)General Anil Chauhan, will be in Andaman and Nicobar to participate in festivities with soldiers deployed there. Navy chief, Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, will celebrate with naval troops in Gujarat's Porbandar, while Air Chief Marshal AP Singh will celebrate with soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir.
The tradition of celebrating Diwali with troops was started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he came to office.
In his first Diwali as prime minister, Modi visited Siachen, while the following year, he was in Punjab's Amritsar. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, he went to Hiamchal Pradesh's Kinnaur, Gurez sector (Jammu and Kashmir) and Harsil in Uttarakhand, respectively.
In 2019, the prime minister was again in Jammu and Kashmir, as he celebrated the festival with jawans in Rajouri. Next year, he was in Rajasthan's Longewala and, in 2021, he was back in Jammu and Kashmir (Nowshera). He spent the next two Diwalis with troops in Ladakh's Kargil and Lepcha, Himachal Pradesh respectively.
