Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Saturday celebrated Diwali with ITBP and Army jawans in Uttarkashi district and said the country can sleep peacefully only because they fight all odds to keep its boundaries secure.
Mr Rawat spent time with the ITBP jawans at their camp in Kopang and with the 9th battalion of Bihar Regiment at Harshil. He distributed sweets and wished them and their families a happy Diwali.
"Our Army and paramilitary force personnel work in difficult circumstances at the borders, living away from their families. It is because of them that the entire country sleeps peacefully," he said.
He especially praised women officers for doing their duty bravely in such difficult border areas, saying they were an inspiration for all.
Uttarakhand has a special link with the armed forces as many of its sons have served and are serving either in the Army or the paramilitary forces, he said.
The chief minister said his father was also in the Army and he felt really happy to be with them on the occasion.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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