At Tawang, Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman tied rakhi on soldiers.
Highlights
- Minister ties rakhis to men in uniform in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh
- Her visit was part of the 70th Independence Day Celebrations
- It was also part of PM Modi's 'Act East' policy for the northeast
Union minister for Commerce Nirmala Sitharaman celebrated her birthday a special way this time. The day also happened to be Rakshabandhan and the minister tied rakhis to men in uniform at remote Tawang, in Arunachal Pradesh.
Tawang saw valiant sacrifices by army during the Indo-China war in 1962. Even today, thousands of troops are posted in the area in very adverse conditions.
The minister's visit came as part of the government's decision to send ministers to 70 locations in border areas to mark India's 70th Independence Day.
Though the weather threatened to disrupt the programme, Ms Sitharaman and junior home minister Kiren Rijiju opted to travel to Lumla by road.
Speaking to NDTV after the event, Ms Sitharaman said, "I am very grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for designing this programme and making us women ministers reach border posts to ensure that the message goes across that we care."
"This time Rakhi feels nice," Havildar Ravinder Kumar told NDTV. "We feel bad that we can't go home to our loved ones, but now I can call a senior minister my sister."
Assistant Sub-Inspector ANS Mishra from the Sashastra Seema Bal told NDTV, "I am feeling good. This feels like home. It feels like my own sister is tying rakhi."
The purpose of the visit, however, goes beyond celebrating Independence Day. It is an integral part of the Modi government's Act East Policy to interact with people from the northeast and create more military-civilian interactions.
Lieutenant Colonel Prerit Rawat told NDTV, "They (the locals) want people from the mainland to come here and celebrate occasions with them. They want people to know the traditions followed here."
But with poor connectivity and crumbling roads, getting to these areas is a challenge.
Minister of State for Home and local MP Kiren Rijiju admitted that communication has been a major bottleneck. "We are working very hard on this and I will speak to the defence minister, so that budget allocation for road maintenance is increased," he said.