Holds ‘Shastra Puja’ in Tawang, visits war memorial
New Delhi, October 24
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited forward posts of the Indian Army along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh and carried out first-hand on-ground assessment of the operational preparedness of the armed forces today.
Tawang and western parts of Arunachal are operationally under the 4 Corps, headquartered at Tezpur in Assam.
“The 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,” a statement of the Ministry of Defence said.
The minister started his day by visiting Bum La, 37 km north of Tawang, along the LAC. He interacted with the troops deployed on the frontline and celebrated Dasehra with them. He returned to Tawang, where he performed traditional ‘Shastra Puja’ with the troops. At the Tawang War Memorial, the minister laid a wreath and offered tribute to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice during the 1962 war (October 20 to November 21) with China.
After assuming charge as the Defence Minister in May 2019, Rajnath has each year, during the period of the India-China war, either visited the LAC or dedicated projects that aid military logistics and movement in the Himalayas.
In 2019, Rajnath was in Tawang where he had laid a wreath on November 14.
On October 25, 2020, while on his way to Nathu La on the LAC in eastern Sikkim, adverse weather conditions prevented his helicopter from taking off from Sukhna Cantonment in North Bengal. He did an e-opening of a vital road. On November 18, 2021, the minister visited Rezang La in eastern Ladakh and inaugurated the renovated war memorial along the LAC. This is the spot where the Army had held back the Chinese onslaught in 1962.
On October 28 last year, Rajnath attended an event along the vital 255-km Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DS-DBO) road in eastern Ladakh. Among other things, he unveiled a 120-metre bridge on the DS-DBO Road at an altitude 14,000 feet. The bridge is capable of taking the weight of 70 tonne, more than that of a tank. He also opened two helipads — one each at Hanle and Thakung — in eastern Ladakh.