PM’s address at the celebration of Diwali with Soldiers of Indian Armed Forces at Longewala in Jaisalmer
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 14 Nov, 2020

On behalf of 130 crore countrymen, I once again congratulate all the bravehearts who have stood round the clock for the service and safety of MaaBharati. Be it on the borders of the country, the skies or the seas; the snowy peaks or the dense forests, I salute every valiant son and daughter defending the nation, our forces, BSF, ITBP, CISF, security forces and police personnel on this auspicious festival of Deepawali. The safety of the nation, the happiness of the people and these festivals of the country are because of you. Today I have brought the greetings of every Indian. I have brought the love of crores of Indians. I have come with the blessings of every senior citizen. I extend my heartfelt greetings to those brave mothers and sisters today, and salute their sacrifice whose own sons/daughters or brothers/sisters are posted on the borders even during the festival. I salute all the family members. Once again close both fists and speak loudly along with me: Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Friends, I remember that I had visited Siachenon the occasion ofDeepawali for the first time in 2014 after becoming the Prime Minister to celebrate Diwali with the soldiers. A lot of people were surprised. What is the Prime Minister doing on a festive day? But, now you also know my feelings. How can I stay away from my own people on the festival of Diwali? And that’s why I am here with you today even this year on Deepawali. I have come to my loved ones. Whether you are on the snowy hills, or in the desert, Diwali feels complete to me only when I am with you! When I see the brightness and happiness on your faces, it multiplies the level of my joy. For this happiness and also for the joy of my countrymen, today once again I have come here to be with you in a desert. And one more thing, I have brought some sweets for you on this festive occasion. But it is not just the Prime Minister of the country who has come with sweets. I have also brought the love of all the countrymen along with the sweets. You can taste the sweetness of the hands of every mother in the country. In these sweets, you have the blessings of every brother, sister and father. And therefore, I have not come here alone. I have also brought with me the love, affection and blessings that the country has for you. And friends, Today I am here on this post of Longewala and the country is watching you, the sons and the daughters of MaaBharati who bring glory to my country. I believe that the name of a post most remembered by the people of the country and several generations is the Longewala post – a post, where the temperature touches 50 degrees in summer and goes below zero degrees in winter; and one cannot even see each other’s face due to the way in which the sand blows in May and June. At this post, your colleagues have written a saga of valour that fills the heart of every Indian with a lot of zeal even today. As soon as we speak of Longewala, the slogan of ‘जोबोलेसोनिहाल, सतश्रीअकाल’ starts ringing in the ears. Friends, Whenever the history of military skill will be written & read, and the military might will be discussed, the Battle of Longewala will certainly be remembered. This was the time when the Pakistan Army was persecuting, torturing and massacring innocent civilians of Bangladesh. They were committing inhumane atrocities on sisters and daughters. The disgusting face of Pakistan was being exposed by these atrocities. Pakistan was emerging in a horrifying form before the world. In order to divert the attention of the world from all that, Pakistan opened a front on the western borders of our country. Pakistan felt that by doing so, it would blame India and put India in a bad light before the world. Pakistan thought that in doing so, all the sins committed on Bangladesh would be concealed. But our soldiers had given a befitting reply to Pakistan. Friends, The echo of the might shown on this post had shattered the spirits of the enemy. Hardly did they knew that they were to face the ferocious sons and daughters of MaaBharati here. Indian heroes, led by Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri, had decimated the enemies armed with tanks and had destroyed their plans. Sometimes I feel that Kuldeepji’s parents might have named him Kuldeep with the thought that he is the lamp of their Kul (family) but Kuldeepji had made that name so meaningful that he had become the lamp of the entire nation,Rastra deep not just a family. Friends, That historic battle of Longewala is not only a symbol of the valour of the Indian military, but also of the amazing coordination of the Army, BSF and Air Force. This battle has shown that no matter what appears before the organized military power of India, the enemies will not be able to thrive under any circumstances. Now that the battle of 1971 and battle of Longewala are going to complete 50 years in a few weeks, we are going to celebrate the 50th anniversary or this glorious & golden page in history. That is why I wanted to come here today so that the whole country will be proud to hear the stories of victory, valour and those heroes; the nation will be confident and it will inspire the lives of the new generations and the generations to come. For such heroic sons, a poet from the land of Rajasthan, Narayan Singh Bhati has written in the day to day language – इनजैसेघर, इनजैसेगगन, इनजैसेसह-इतिहास! इनजैसीसह-पीढ़ियाँ, प्राचीत्रणेप्रकाश !! That is, this earth is proud of the sacrifices of its brave sons, the sky is proud of the sacrifices of its brave sons and the whole history is proud of the sacrifices of its brave sons. As the sunlight descends on this earth to drive away the darkness, generations to come will continue to be proud of this sacrifice. Friends, Be it the highlands of the Himalayas, the heaps of sand in the desert, the dense forests or the depths of the sea, your valour has always prevailed over every challenge. Even if most of you are here in the desert today, you also have the experience of the heights of the Himalayas. Whatever the situation might be, your might and valour is unparalleled. Consequently, today, the enemy has realized that they are no match to India’s bravehearts. Saluting your valour, the 130 crore countrymen of India are standing firmly with you today. Today every Indian is proud of the strength and bravery of his soldiers. They are proud of your invincibility. No force in the world can stop our brave soldiers from protecting the country’s border. Friends, The history of the world tells us that only those nations have remained safe, only those nations have moved forward, which had the ability to fight the invaders. If we look at today’s scenario, no matter how far international cooperation has come, how many equations have changed, but we can never forget that vigilance is the way to safety, vigilance is the power of peace. Strength is the basis to victory and competence is the reward of peace. India is safe today because India has the power to protect itself, India has its brave sons and daughters like you. Friends, Whenever the need arises, India has shown the world that it has the strength and the political will to give a befitting reply. Our military strength has increased; our negotiating power has improved manifold by their might and resolve. Today India hits terrorists and their mastersin their own houses. Today the world knows and understands that this country is not going to compromise its interests at any cost. This status of India, this stature, is due to your power and might. You have protected the country, that’s why India today speaks with immense confidence on global forums. Friends, Today the whole world is troubled by the expansionist forces. Expansionism is, in a way, a perversion and reflects eighteenth-century mindset. India is also raising its strong voice against this thinking. Friends, Today, India is moving at a very fast pace to make its defense sector self-reliant. Recently, our forces have decided that they will not rely on foreign countries for over 100 different types of requirements, especially weapons and defence equipment. They will use only the products manufactured in India. This is not a small decision. It takes a lot of courage. It requires a firm belief in your soldiers. Today, on this occasion and from this land of sacrifice and penance, I congratulate my forces for this crucial decision. This is not a small decision, I know. The decision was taken by the army; a very encouraging decision for Aatmnirbhar India. With this decision of the Army, the message of ‘vocal for local’ has reached the 130 crore countrymen. A decision of the army has inspired the 130 crore countrymen to be vocal for local. Today, the youth of the country will manufacture such products one after the other within the country that it will benefit the youth, the army of the country, the security forces, para-medical forces. It will strengthen our army personnel and the soldiers. In recent times, many start-ups have come forward to cater to the needs of the forces. New start-ups in the defense sector by the youth will take the country further in terms of self-sufficiency. Friends, Self-reliant India in the defense sector; the goal of this growing strength of the country is peace on the border. Today India’s strategy is clear. Today’s India believes in the policy of understanding and making others understand but if anyone tries to test us, then the reply will be equally fierce. Friends, The integrity of the country depends on the unity of the countrymen. Peace, unity, goodwill boosts the integrity of the country. The security of the border is associated with the strength of the security forces. Our brave men on the borders have immense courage, their morale remains high, so their every need, every requirement, is among the highest priorities of the country. Taking care of his family is the responsibility of the country. In the past, many decisions have also been taken regarding the education and employment of the children of the soldiers. When I was sworn in for the second time last year, the first decision was related to the education of the children of the martyrs. Under this, the scholarship available under the National Defence Fund has been increased. Friends, Along with the facility, unprecedented efforts are going on in the country to honour the heroes. The National War memorial or the National Police Memorial is inspiring the new generation of our countrymen by emerging as the supreme symbols of the country’s valour. Friends, Your behaviour and teamwork amidst difficult challenges teaches the country to fight with the same spirit on every front. Today the country is also fighting the war against the Corona pandemic in the same spirit. Thousands of doctors, nurses, helpers and support staff of the country are working day and night ceaselessly and tirelessly. Countrymen are also fighting this war like frontline warriors. For so many months, our countrymen have been following complete discipline, taking precautions like wearing masks and protecting the lives of themselves and their loved ones. But we also realise that if we feel a lot of discomfort wearing masks, then how you must be carrying the weight of these safety jackets and what not on your bodies. It must be difficult to wear so many things. With this sacrifice, the country is learning about discipline and alsoinculcating the spirit of service. Friends, The sacrifices you make while staying at the border, creates an atmosphere of trust in the country. It instils a new confidence in every Indian. It is believed that the biggest challenge can be overcome if we are together. Seeking inspiration from you, the country is busy protecting the lives of every citizen in this difficult time of the pandemic. For so many months, the country has been arranging food for more than 80 crore citizens. But at the same time, the country is also trying its best to give the economy a boost once again. As a result of this zeal and courage shown by the countrymen today record recovery and growth is seen again in several sectors. The credit for all these different types of battles, successes goes to our soldiers at the border; it goes to you. Friends, Every time, on every occasion whenever I am with you or the more time I spend with all of you, the more I get involved in your happiness and sorrow, the stronger my resolve becomes for national defence and service to the nation. I want to reassure you that you can follow your path of duty without any worries. Every Indian is with you. Yes, on this day I want to request you three things as a friend and a companion. I am sure that my request to you may become your resolve. First- make it a habit of innovating something, doing something new or inventing new things. Make it a part of life and I have seen that the creativity of our soldiers living in this way can help the country get a lot of new things. Try to bring some innovation. Look at our security forces because they innovate on the basis of experience. You innovate out of your daily lives as you have to struggle daily. My second request to you is to make yoga a part of your lives under every situation and thirdly we all have our own mother tongue; some of us speak Hindi, some speak English etc. I can see one mini India in front of me. Youngsters from every corner of the country are sitting here. As the youth with different mother tongues are sitting here, They know their mother tongue Hindi and English. I urge you to adopt one more language from your friends. You will see that it will be one of your biggest strengths. You will definitely realise that these things will infuse a new energy in you. Friends, As long as you are there, your courage and enthusiasm is there, your sacrifice is there, no one can shake the confidence of 130 crore Indians. As long as you are there, the country will continue to light up like this on Diwali. From this mighty land of Longewala, from the land of valour and courage, from the land of sacrifice, once again my best wishes to all of you and the people of the country on Diwali. Raise both your fists and say loudly with me- Bharat Mata ki Jai! Bharat Mata ki Jai! Bharat Mata ki Jai! Thanks a lot!