Rajnath Singh to celebrate Deepavali with troops at India-China border in Sikkim

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File picture of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh interacting with troops during a visit to Siachen Base Camp, in Ladakh. Image for representation | Photo Credit: PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will celebrate Deepavali with Army personnel deployed along the India-China border at Nathu La in Sikkim, a senior Defence Ministry official said on Friday.

Mr. Singh will be in Sikkim on Saturday and Sunday and will celebrate the festival with troops guarding the border. He will also visit the Sherathang War Memorial.

The Defence Minister has made it a tradition to celebrate Vijayadashami (Dussehra) with frontline troops at key military stations across the country. However, he missed it this year because he was on an official visit abroad.

His visit to Nathu La comes amid continued efforts by India and China to maintain peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

In September, the Indian and Chinese armies held their first Corps Commander-level meeting in the Eastern Sector, marking an expansion of the military dialogue mechanism beyond the Ladakh sector.

Recently, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) chief Shatrujeet Kapur said face-offs between Indian security forces and Chinese troops had continued at multiple locations along the LAC since July, including in Arunachal Pradesh.

In another development, cross-border trade between India and China through the Nathu La pass resumed in August after a suspension of more than six years.

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