As the country celebrates its 71st Republic Day on Sunday, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel observed the historic day at 17,000 feet in Ladakh, trudging through the snow. The temperature in Ladakh at present is minus 20 degrees Celsius.
A video clip shared on social media showed ‘Himveers’ dressed in white uniforms and chanting slogans of – Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Mataram as the tricolour flies high.
Two of the soldiers were seen holding the tricolour as they marched in the snow.
ITBP Soldiers hoist the Indian flag ?? on the snow-capped Himalayas in #Ladakh#RepublicDay2020 #RepublicDay @ITBP_official pic.twitter.com/KnH847cIy4
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) January 26, 2020
ITBP is a specialized mountain force and most of the officers and men are professionally trained mountaineers and skiers. Being the first responder for a natural disaster, the force has been carrying out numerous rescue and relief operations across the country.
ITBPF was raised on October 24, 1962. Presently, ITBP is deployed on border guarding duties from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh covering 3488 km of Indo-China Border and manning Border Outposts on altitudes ranging from 9000 feet to 18700 feet in the Western, Middle and Eastern sectors of the Indo-China Border.
A total of 15 ITBP personnel have been conferred with medals on Republic Day.
Republic Day celebrations are taking place across the country. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is the chief guest on Republic Day who witnessed the celebrations with President Kovind, PM Modi and other dignitaries at Delhi’s Rajpath.
