PM’s address during interaction with the Jawans in Kargil on Diwali
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 24 Oct, 2022

Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! The desire to salute this land of Kargil, known for valour and bravery, draws me to my brave sons and daughters time and again. For me, you are my family forever. Diwali becomes sweeter amidst you all. The light of my Deepawali originates here and guides me till the next Diwali. The joy and zeal of Diwali for me is to be with you. I am fortunate that I am getting the opportunity to celebrate Diwali with you at the border. There is this sovereign frontier of the country on the one hand, and its dedicated soldiers on the other! On the one hand, we have the beautiful soil of the motherland while on the other hand we have my brave young friends who apply this soil on their foreheads as sandalwood ‘Tilak’! My brave soldiers! Where else could I have celebrated my Diwali better? The fireworks of the civilians like us on Diwali and your fireworks are completely different. These two can never be compared! Friends, Besides the saga of bravery, our tradition is also known for its sweetness. Hence, India celebrates its festivals with love. India celebrates with the whole world. Today, on Deepawali, I extend my heartiest greetings to all the countrymen, and to the whole world from this land of victory i.e. Kargil, amidst all the jawans. There has not been a single battle against Pakistan wherein Kargil has not waved the flag of victory. In today’s global scenario, this festival of light should show the path of peace to the whole world. That is what India desires. Friends, Diwali means celebration after defeating terror! It is the celebration of the end of terror! Kargil had done the same thing. In Kargil, our army had crushed terror, and the way the country had celebrated Diwali on that victory, that people still remember it today. I was fortunate to be a witness to that victory too, and I had also seen that war closely. I am grateful to our officers because as soon as I came here, I was shown pictures of me that are several years old. Those were pictures of me spending time with you. When I was looking at those pictures, I was overwhelmed with a lot of emotions. I am very grateful to all of you for reminding me again of my moments spent amidst the brave soldiers; I am really very grateful to you. When our jawans were giving a befitting reply to the enemies during the Kargil war, I had had the privilege of being amidst them. My duty, as an ordinary citizen of the country, had brought me to the battlefield. We had brought the relief material that the country had dispatched for its soldiers. It was an act of virtue for all of us. People show their devotion to God. But that was my opportunity to worship the soldiers like you who were painted in the colours of patriotism. I have a lot of memories from that time, which I can never forget. It felt like the begule of victory was being sounded in all four directions. There was just one cry – ‘ मन समर्पित, तन समर्पित। और यह जीवन समर्पित। चाहता हूँ देश की धरती तुझे कुछ और भी दूं! (‘A devoted mind, a devoted body and a dedicated life. I want to offer the motherland something more’!) Friends, The nation we worship i.e. our India is not just a geographical land. Our India is a living entity, an everlasting consciousness with an eternal existence. When we say India, an image of an eternal culture emerges before us; a legacy of bravery appears before us; the tradition of a mighty power shines in front of us. It is such an unstoppable stream, which originates from the mighty Himalayas on one side and merges into the Indian Ocean on the other. In the past, infinite storms had erupted that had consumed the world’s thriving civilizations which ultimately were lost. But this cultural stream of India’s existence is still unbroken and eternal. And my dear soldiers, when does a nation become immortal? A nation becomes immortal when its children and its brave sons and daughters have absolute faith in their strength and resources. A nation is immortal when the heads of its soldiers are as high as the mighty peaks of the Himalayas. A nation becomes immortal when it can be said about its progeny that- चलन्तु गिरयः कामं युगान्त पवनाहताः। कृच्छेरपि न चलत्येव धीराणां निश्चलं मनः॥ That is, the great mountains may be uprooted by the storms of the doomsday, but the minds of the brave like you are firm, unshakable and steadfast. Therefore, your powerful arms challenge the insurmountable heights of the Himalayas; your virtuous mind fights the difficulties of the desert with success, the infinite sky and the limitless sea kneel before your infinite valour. Kargil’s battlefield has become a strong witness to this valour of the Indian Army. Drass, Batalik and Tiger Hill are the witnesses to the fact that an enemy even at the peaks of the mountains looks small before the courage and valour of the Indian Army. A country that has soldiers with infinite valour, its existence becomes eternal, immortal and unshakeable. Friends, All of you are guarding our borders and are strong pillars of defence for the country. Because of you the countrymen are able to live peacefully within the country and remain relaxed. But it is really amazing that every Indian is doing the best to provide complete security to the protective shield of the country. The country is safe only when the borders are secure, the economy is strong and the society is full of confidence. When you hear the news regarding the strength of the country on its borders today, your courage is doubled. When the people of the country join the mission of cleanliness, the poorest of the poor get their pucca houses, drinking water, electricity and gas facilities in record time, then every jawan feels proud too. He feels proud when he realizes that these facilities are reaching his house, village or city, while he is at the border. He feels happy when he sees that the connectivity is getting better and it is easier for him to make calls at home and reach home on vacation. Friends, I know, when the country’s economy moves from 10th to 5th place within 7-8 years, you too feel really proud. You too feel elated when on one hand youngsters like you take care of the border while on the other hand your young friends are creating more than 80 thousand start-ups and innovating. Just two days ago, ISRO has created a new record by launching 36 satellites together for expanding the broadband internet. Whenever India attains such success in space, then of course my brave soldiers feel proud. When a war broke out in Ukraine a few months ago, we all saw how our beloved tricolour had become a protective shield for the Indians trapped there. India’s glory and role are getting enhanced in the world today and it is for everyone to see. Friends, Today these things have become possible because India is successfully fighting against both its external and internal enemies. On one hand you are standing as a shield on the border, while on the other hand strictest action is being taken against the enemies within the country too. The country is continuously making successful efforts to uproot terrorism, Naxalism and extremism that had emerged in the last few decades. Naxalism had once engulfed a very large part of the country. But today that is continuously shrinking. Today the country is also fighting a decisive war against corruption. No matter how powerful the corrupt may be, he cannot escape now. Misgovernance had limited the country’s potential for a long time, putting obstacles in the way of our development. Today, with the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’, we are fast removing all those shortcomings of the past. Today the boldest decisions are taken swiftly, and are implemented swiftly in the national interest. Friends, In the rapidly changing times, the nature of future wars is also going to change in this age of technology. Today we are getting the military strength of the country ready according to the new challenges, new methods and changing requirements of national defence in the new era. The need for major reforms in the army, which was felt for decades, is being implemented today. All possible steps are being taken so that there is a better coordination of our forces and we can take swift action against every challenge. For this, a post like CDS has been created. A network of modern infrastructure is being developed on the border, so that our friends like you are more comfortable in performing duties. Today several Sainik Schools are being opened in the country. In Sainik Schools, Military Training Institutes have been opened for daughters and I am proud to see so many daughters in front of me. Believe me, with the entry of daughters in the Indian army, our strength is going to increase; our power is going to increase. Friends, The most important aspect of the country’s security is ‘self-reliant India’; and ensuring that the Indian armies have modern indigenous weapons. To minimize our dependence on foreign weapons and foreign systems, the three Armed Forces have pledged to be self-reliant. I appreciate our three Armed Forces which have decided that more than 400 defence equipment will not be procured from abroad. Now these 400 weapons will be made in India itself and will enhance the capability of India. This will have another biggest advantage. When the jawan of India will fight with the weapons made in his country, his confidence will shoot up. In his attack, there will be a surprise element for the enemy and that will raise his courage to crush the enemy’s morale. And I am glad that today on one hand our armies are adopting more and more ‘Made in India’ weapons while on the other hand the common Indian man is also going ‘vocal for local’. And he is dreaming of turning the local into global. Friends, Today, defence equipment like the BrahMos supersonic missiles, the ‘Prachand’ Light Combat Helicopters and Tejas fighter jets are becoming synonymous with India’s might. Today, India has fighter ‘Vikrant’ in the vast ocean. For fighting battles under the water, we have ‘Arihant’. India has ‘Prithvi’ as well as ‘Akash’ missiles. We have missiles like ‘Tandav’ for destruction as well as ‘Trishul’ and ‘Pinaka’ of Lord Shiva. No matter how aggressive the war is, India’s Arjuna will always hit the target. Today India is not only meeting the requirements of its army, but is also becoming a major exporter of defence equipment. Today, India is strengthening its missile defence system. At the same time, it is also working rapidly on modern and effective technologies like drones. Brothers & Sisters, Culturally, we have never considered war as the first option. Because of our valour and social values, we have always considered war as the last option. Whether the war took place in Lanka or Kurukshetra, every effort has been made to avoid it till the end. That’s why we are in favour of world peace. We are against war. But even peace is not possible without strength. Our forces have the capability as well as the strategy. If someone tries to attack us, our three Armed forces know very well how to give a befitting reply to the enemies in their language. Friends, One more thing used to stand as a barrier before the country and our armies. And that is the slave mentality. Today the country is getting rid of this mentality as well. For a long time the Rajpath in the nation’s capital was a symbol of slavery. Today by rechristening it as ‘Kartavya-path’, we have instilled a new confidence in New India. Once there was a symbol of colonial rule near India Gate but today we have a huge statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose which is guiding us now. Be it the National War Memorial or the National Police Memorial, these monuments, which will inspire us to do anything for the protection of the nation, are also the symbols of the new India. Some time back, the country has also freed the Indian Navy from the symbol of slavery. Now drawing inspiration from brave-heart Shivaji, a new Navy ensign has been added to the naval flag. Friends, Today the whole world is looking towards India and its growing potential. When India’s strength increases, so does the hope for peace. When India’s strength increases, so does the possibility of prosperity. When India’s strength increases, there is an equilibrium in the world. ‘Azadi Ka Amritkaal’ is going to be a real witness to this power of India. All the brave soldiers like you have a major role in this because you are the “Pride of India”. (A broad translation of a poem in Hindi dedicated to the soldiers of India) “Your Body, mind, desire and path are synonymous with the tricolor; you have a roaring confidence for victory; your chest is wider than the border; your resolve reflects even in the dreams, showing strength at every step; you are the pride of India; every Indian feels proud of you; your heroic saga resounds in every house; men and women salute you; we all have affection for you deeper than the ocean; you have your family; you have your dreams too; yet you have dedicated all this to the country; now the enemies of the country have known your iron-will; you are the pride of India; every Indian feels proud of you! When it comes to love, you resemble the tranquility of the ocean but if anyone dares to target the country, you resemble the dare-devil ‘Vajra’ and ‘Vikrant’ and the fearless ‘Agni’! You are like ‘Nirbhay’, ‘Prachand’ and ‘Nag’ (missiles); you are ‘Arjun’, ‘Prithvi’ and ‘Arihant’; you are the terminator of every darkness; your penance here makes the country grateful; you are the pride of India; every Indian feels proud of you; your head is held high with self-respect; you are the roar of ‘Tejas’ in the sky; you are the invincible cry of ‘Brahmos’ that confronts the enemy eyeball to eyeball; the nation reiterates the truth that we are indebted to you every moment; you are the pride of India; every Indian feels proud of you!” Once again I wish you all as well as the Indians in the country and around the world a very Happy Diwali from my side and on behalf of my brave soldiers, from the lap of Himalayas where my Kargil Heroes are situated. Say aloud with me so that your voice resonates in the whole Himalayas! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Vande Matram! Vande Matram! Vande Matram!