Happy Diwali: PM Modi greets Indians on festival of lights, wishes good fortune

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended greetings to his fellow countrymen on the occasion of Diwali, the festival of lights.

Wishing everyone a very happy Diwali, the Prime Minister hoped that the auspicious occasion brings happiness, prosperity, and good fortune to the lives of his fellow citizens.

“Greetings to the countrymen on the auspicious occasion of Diwali,” the Prime Minister posted in Hindi from his official handle on Twitter on Thursday. “I wish that this festival of lights brings happiness, prosperity, and good fortune in your life. Wishing everyone a very Happy Diwali.”

On Diwali every year since assuming his office in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to the frontiers of India’s border points to bring some joy to the lives of the armed forces personnel posted at some of the remotest security check posts.

Continuing with this annual tradition, the Prime Minister will celebrate Diwali this year, too, with soldiers of the Indian Army. He is likely to visit the Nowshera sector, along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Thursday. The Prime Minister had last visited this sector in 2019 when he celebrated Diwali with the soldiers.

As India celebrates Diwali on Thursday with the country gradually normalising to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation, most studies show a high prevalence of Covid antibodies among people, with more than a billion doses of vaccines having been administered.

High-frequency indices on the economy and mobility are also looking up, making the projections for Diwali this year a lot better than that of the last year. However, experts still advise caution, rightly so, as 248 million cases and 5 million (accounted) deaths across the world so far tell us that it will be dangerous to lower the guard against the viral disease.