Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with soldiers from Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Dogra Scouts in a remote and strategic area in Himachal Pradesh, adjoining the Chinese border. At a time when tensions with Pakistan are running high, the Prime Minister also dedicated a large part of his Mann ki Baat address on radio hailing the soldiers, saluting their valour, and lauding their sacrifices. Sumdoh, some 330 km from Shimla, is located on the border of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts. Mingling freely, Modi went up to the soldiers holding a plate of sweets. At least one soldier offered him a sweet in return, much to the joy of everyone. "They say you should celebrate Diwali with your people and that's why I have come here to celebrate Diwali with you all," he told soldiers. "We the people of India sleep peacefully because you guard our borders," he said. The Prime Minister had celebrated his first Diwali since coming to power in 2014 with soldiers posted in Siachen, and in 2015, he celebrated it at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab.
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