The Indian Army video shows soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir’s Gurez.
New Delhi:
India’s Independence Day celebrations may have been muted this year because of COVID-19 but there certainly has been no dearth of patriotic fervour in the farthest corners of the country.
The Indian Army on Saturday shared a video of soldiers marking 15th August by raising the national flag on top of a snowy mountain in Jammu and Kashmir’s Gurez in the Bandipora district.
The video shows a handful of soldiers perched on what feels like the top of the world as a drone circles them, filming the moment in all its glory.
After the flag is raised, the instrumental version of the national anthem plays. Army sources said the flag was raised on a peak between 12,500 and 13,000 feet right on the Line of Control.
India celebrated its 74th Independence Day on Saturday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the national flag and gave his seventh address from the iconic Red Fort this morning.
Strict social distancing and safety measures were in place as the celebrations took place amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Praising the armed forces, PM Modi said India’s soldiers have given a fitting reply to anyone who has challenged the country’s sovereignty “from LoC to LAC”.
“From LoC (Line of Control) to LAC (Line of Actual Control), whenever India’s sovereignty has been challenged, our soldiers have answered them in their own language,” said the Prime Minister, in a strong message to Pakistan and China without naming either.
Referring to the clash with China in June at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, PM Modi said: “India’s integrity is supreme for us. What our jawans can do, what the country can do, the world saw that in Ladakh. Today, I salute all those brave soldiers from the Red Fort.”
Twenty soldiers died for the country in the clash with Chinese troops on June 15. With talks on de-escalation deadlocked, PM Modi’s words were seen as a strong warning to China.
