Likely to fly to Siachen Glacier with Army Comdrs
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 23: President Droupadi Murmu will be on a two-day visit of Ladakh on October 31 and November 1 during which she will attend UT Day celebration in Leh. She is also likely to visit Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield in the world.
Officials told the Excelsior that Ladakh will be celebrating fourth UT day on a grand scale this time on October 31 and the President has consented to attend one main function in Leh during her two-day visit to Ladakh.
Murmu’s visit to Ladakh comes days after her two-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir. On October 11, she was in Srinagar to attend Kashmir University’s convocation while next day she visited holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji and inaugurated Skywalk and remodelled Parvati Bhawan besides paying obeisance to the Goddess.
The main function will be held at Sindhu Hall on October 31 and besides the President of India, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Brig (Retd) BD Mishra and all senior civil and police officers will attend.
After bifurcation, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were declared as Union Territories on August 5, 2019. However, they formally became the UTs on October 31, 2019.
Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh Chairman-cum-CEC Tashi Gyalson, Executive Councillors and Councillors will also attend the function among others.
Jammu and Kashmir is also celebrating UT Day on October 31 with great enthusiasm.
Sources said Droupadi Murmu after attending the function at Leh in the morning of October 31 is expected to visit Sindhu Ghat,
On November 1, the President, who is Supreme Commander of 3 Services, is likely to visit Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield in the world.
Top Army Commanders are expected to accompany the President during her likely visit to Siachen Glacier.
During her stay in Leh, the President is expected to visit the places of religious and historic significance besides meeting the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, top Army Commanders and other dignitaries.
Meanwhile, students and teachers from different schools of Leh district will be performing at Raj Bhawans/Raj Niwas in all States/UTs on October 31 on the occasion of Ladakh’s UT Day.
A committee has selected boys and girls from different schools of Leh and Kargil districts for performing across States/UTs. The cultural troupes comprise 18 youth from Leh district and 17 from Kargil district.
One common cultural performance, specific to the place where students belong to, will be performed by each group. The students would perform two cultural programs in which they would wear similar costumes and carry identical instruments.
This will be the President’s first visit to the UT of Ladakh after her election as first tribal woman President of India in July last year.
The President’s visit to the Union Territory of Ladakh is also significant as she happens to be the Supreme Commander of 3 Services and Sino-Indian troops are engaged in eyeball-to-eyeball position at various points on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh for last three years now. However, disengagement has also taken place from some of the friction points.
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