Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spent Diwali on the India-China frontier this year. On Sunday, November 8, he visited the Sherathang War Memorial in East Sikkim, close to the Nathu La pass, where he paid tribute to soldiers who laid down their lives and celebrated the festival with troops posted in the region. The visit came a day after he reviewed military preparedness in north Bengal.
Leaders spending festivals with soldiers at forward posts has become a familiar tradition, but the choice of Nathu La, one of the most sensitive points along the border with China, gave this year's visit added weight.
A Message of Thanks at Sherathang
Addressing soldiers at the memorial, Rajnath Singh began by wishing them and their families a happy Diwali. He told the troops that discipline was their greatest strength, and that the light they kept burning at the border was not limited to Sherathang but was "reaching every house in the country."
He also spoke about the soldiers commemorated at the memorial, pointing out that the young men who were martyred there came from states across India, including Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Assam. Referring to the National War Memorial in New Delhi, he noted that the names of about 26,000 martyrs are inscribed there in gold letters, a reminder of what the country owes its armed forces.
Why Nathu La Matters
Nathu La is a high mountain pass on the Sikkim-Tibet border and one of the few points where India and China trade and hold border meetings. It is also a place with a hard history. In 1967, Indian and Chinese troops clashed at Nathu La and nearby Cho La, and Indian soldiers held their ground. The Sherathang memorial, sometimes called the Watershed Martyrs' Memorial, honours personnel who died during those clashes.
Choosing this spot for Diwali, at a time when the armed forces are steadily building up infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control, sends a clear signal of political support for troops serving in extreme cold and thin air.
The Two-Day Itinerary
| November 7 (Diwali eve) | Arrived at Bagdogra airfield, Darjeeling district |
| November 7 | Visited Trishakti Corps headquarters at Sukna, near Siliguri |
| Review at Sukna | Infrastructure near the LAC and deployment of advanced equipment |
| November 8 (Diwali) | Sherathang War Memorial near Nathu La, East Sikkim |
| At Sherathang | Paid tribute to fallen soldiers, interacted with troops |
At Sukna on Saturday, the Defence Minister was briefed on infrastructure development close to the Line of Actual Control and on the deployment of advanced military equipment in the eastern sector, according to the Ministry of Defence. Trishakti Corps is responsible for the defence of Sikkim and the strategic Siliguri Corridor, the narrow strip of land that links the northeastern states with the rest of India.
A Tradition of Festival Visits
Rajnath Singh has made a habit of marking festivals with soldiers. He celebrated Diwali in 2024 at 4 Corps headquarters in Tezpur, Assam, and spent Holi that year at Leh Military Station in Ladakh. For Dussehra in 2025, he was at Bhuj Military Station in Gujarat, where he performed Shastra Puja and watched a multi-agency exercise near the India-Pakistan border.
The Bigger Picture on the Eastern Front
The eastern sector has seen steady upgrades in recent years, from new roads and bridges to better shelters for troops posted at high altitude. The Defence Minister's back-to-back stops at Sukna and Sherathang reflect that focus. The Sukna review dealt with the nuts and bolts of readiness, while the Sherathang visit carried the emotional and symbolic message. Taken together, they show the government wants to be seen paying attention to both the hardware and the people who guard the frontier.
What It Means for Readers
For most families, Diwali is about being home. For thousands of soldiers posted on the Himalayan frontier, that is not possible. Visits like this one are meant to show that the country remembers them on the festival. They also give the government a chance to review conditions on the ground, from roads and shelters to equipment and supplies, in some of the toughest terrain where Indian troops serve.
What Happens Next
The Ministry of Defence is expected to share more details and photographs from the visit. With winter setting in along the high Himalaya, the focus for troops in Sikkim now shifts to keeping posts stocked and roads open through the coldest months, while infrastructure work along the LAC continues.
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