Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 49th Mann Ki Baat address on Sunday, paid homage to Army soldiers and their families on the occasion of Infantry Day which was celebrated on Saturday.
"My dear brothers and sisters, we celebrated 'Infantry Day' yesterday. I respectfully bow before all of them who are part of the Indian Armed Forces. I also salute the families of our soldiers," Prime Minister Modi said.
"This is the very day when the Indian forces landed in Kashmir and saved the Valley from the clutches of aggression. This incident too is directly related to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel," he added
The Prime Minister also mentioned an interview of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw as he saluted the jawans and their families on Infantry Day for displaying unparalleled courage.
"I was reading an old interview with the celebrated Army officer Sam Manekshaw. In that interview, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was reminiscing the times when he was a Colonel. Around this time in October 1947, military operations commenced in Kashmir. Field Marshal Manekshaw mentioned how in a meeting, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was irked on the delay in sending troops to Kashmir," the Prime Minister said.
"During the proceedings, Sardar Patel gave him a characteristic glance and reiterated that there should be no delay in our Army operation and that a solution should be sought swiftly. And, immediately after that, our troops flew to Kashmir. We have seen how our Army was successful," he added.
Infantry Day is observed as a remembrance of the first military event of independent India, when the Indian Army repelled the first attack on the Indian soil on October 27, 1947, in the Kashmir Valley.
The victory was accomplished by the personnel of the First Battalion of the Sikh Regiment. The day is commemorated with traditional gaiety and military elan.