FROM SIACHEN TO RAJASTHAN - RAKHI IS AN EMOTIONAL DAY FOR THE JAWANS : Guess who's heading to the borders for Rakhi visits? Sister Minister : By Niharika Lal





This Rakshabandhan, the country's border areas will get a lot of attention and action. But thankfully , not the kind of action that poses a threat to national security. This year, jawans from different paramilitary forces, who are posted in isolated border areas, will celebrate the festival not only with the locals but also with female ministers. The ministers will travel to different border areas to tie rakhi to the jawans and celebrate the day with them.

While female ministers visiting jawans is not news, an activity on this scale has not been organised in the last few years. Officials say that for the first time, so many ministers will visit the border areas.
The Home Ministry asked the various forces to suggest the posts that the ministers can visit and celebrate the festival with the jawans, and the areas were finalised on the basis of their suggestions.DK Tripathi, DIG (Operations), BSF, says, “We received orders from the Home Ministry , and not just the BSF, but other forces also are being asked to suggest posts that the ministers can visit. The BSF got confirmation for two posts -Maneka Gandhi (women & child development minister) will be visit a post in Kashmir, while Harsimrat Kaur Badal (food processing minister) is going to the Attari Border in Amritsar on August 19. We have also organised our function on the same day .“ He adds, “The ministers are the representatives of the people of India and they will carry the message that even though they are far away , they are not alone and the country is with them.“
An official says, “The festival is an emotional moment for the soldiers and meeting locals of this day makes them feel valued.“ Tiwari adds, “Our jawans feel happy when they get to meet people because they usually work in isolation and have minimum public interactions.“


Amid reports that the world's highest battlefield Siachen has become even more risky for soldiers, textile minister Smriti Irani will visit the jawans posted there, carrying messages written to them by people from all over the country . According to sources, one minister will go to Arunachal Pradesh, to visit the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP). Anupriya Patel, MoS for health, is expected to visit the Jaisalmer border in Rajasthan.
Maneka Gandhi recently visited the Indo-Nepal border post at Banbasa in Uttarakhand and tied rakhis to soldiers of the Sashastra Seema Bal.Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, water resources minister Uma Bharti, MoS for commerce Nirmala Sitharaman and MoS for food processing industry Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti will also visit border areas, however the posts they will go to are yet to be announced.
Rakhis, made by female artisans and carrying the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign logo, have been dispatched by the women and child development ministry to these ministers.
(Source- TOI)