Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is spending Diwali 2026 with personnel of the Indian Armed Forces deployed in forward areas, including along the India-China border in Sikkim. The visit continues a long-running practice of senior defence leadership celebrating major festivals with troops serving in difficult operational conditions.
On Saturday, November 7, the eve of Diwali, Singh interacted with Indian Army personnel at Bagdogra Airfield in Darjeeling and at Sukna near Siliguri in West Bengal. Sukna is the headquarters of the Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps, also known as the 33 Corps, which looks after the Sikkim sector.
On Sunday, November 8, Diwali day, the Defence Minister is visiting the Sherathang War Memorial in East Sikkim, located near the Nathu La pass on the India-China border. He is paying tribute to soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation and meeting defence personnel deployed in the region.
A message shared with the country
Announcing his programme on social media, Singh said he would meet and interact with Indian Army personnel at Bagdogra Airfield and Sukna on the eve of Diwali. He added that on November 8, on Diwali, he would visit the Sherathang War Memorial in Sikkim to pay tribute to the brave sons who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation, and meet and interact with soldiers deployed in the region.
Nathu La, a strategically important mountain pass in Sikkim, sits at an altitude of about 14,140 feet along the India-China frontier. It is one of India’s most sensitive border points, overlooking the boundary with China, and troops posted there serve in harsh high-altitude conditions through the year.
The Sherathang War Memorial, also referred to as the Watershed Martyr’s Memorial, commemorates Indian Army personnel who laid down their lives while guarding the Indo-China frontier in Sikkim, including those who fell during the 1967 Nathu La and Cho La clashes.
Why the visit matters
The visit to the Nathu La sector takes place against the backdrop of ongoing efforts by India and China to maintain peace and stability along the Line of Actual Control. In September 2026, the Indian and Chinese armies held their first Corps Commander-level meeting in the Eastern Sector, extending the military dialogue mechanism beyond the Western sector in Ladakh.
Defence leaders spending Diwali with troops has become a fixed part of the festival calendar. The Prime Minister has also said he will again spend Diwali with soldiers this year, continuing a tradition he has followed since 2014.
For the soldiers at Nathu La, the visit is a break from routine in a posting where the weather, the altitude and the distance from home make festivals hard to mark. The Defence Minister’s presence on Diwali day is meant as a direct message that the country remembers those who guard its borders while others celebrate at home.
