Khattar salutes ITBP Himveers on 64th Raising Day
Synopsis
Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on 24 October 2026 saluted ITBP personnel on the force's Raising Day, honouring the Himveers' service on the high-altitude Himalayan frontier along the Line of Actual Control with China.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar extended Raising Day greetings to all ITBP personnel and their families on 24 October 2026 .
The ITBP was raised on 24 October 1962 in the immediate aftermath of the Sino-Indian War to guard the Himalayan frontier.
The force's personnel are popularly called Himveers and are deployed along the Line of Actual Control with China at extreme high altitudes.
Khattar invoked the ITBP's core motto — Shaurya, Dridhata, Karm-Nishtha (Valour, Fortitude, Dedication to Duty) — in his tribute.
The gesture is part of a standard government practice of publicly acknowledging Central Armed Police Forces on their raising days.
Sixty-four years after they were called into existence on the heels of a war, India's Himalayan sentinels stand watch — and on Saturday, 24 October 2026, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar made sure the nation said thank you. The minister extended warm wishes to all personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and their families on the force's Raising Day, honouring their vigil on some of the world's most unforgiving terrain.
Posting on X, Khattar invoked the ITBP's founding triad — 'Shaurya, Dridhata, Karm-Nishtha' (Valour, Fortitude, Dedication to Duty) — calling the Himveers 'ever-alert guardians of security and unity who protect our borders even in the most treacherous geographical conditions.' He added: 'We salute your dedication, discipline, and indomitable courage.'Born from the battlefield of 1962
The ITBP was not built in peacetime. It was raised on 24 October 1962, days into the Sino-Indian War, with a single urgent mandate: secure the Himalayan frontier that had just been tested in blood. That origin story — a force conjured in crisis — runs through everything the ITBP does. Today, its personnel, affectionately called Himveers, are deployed across high-altitude posts along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, at elevations where altitude alone is an adversary.
These are not ceremonial postings. Temperatures plunge well below freezing, oxygen is thin, and supply lines are among the most challenging to maintain anywhere in the world. The Himveers man these positions year-round — and it is that sustained, quiet sacrifice that occasions like Raising Day are designed to bring into the national conversation.
A minister's salute, a nation's acknowledgement
Manohar Lal Khattar, who holds the portfolios of Power and Housing & Urban Development in the Union Cabinet and previously served as Chief Minister of Haryana, is among several senior leaders who mark the raising days of Central Armed Police Forces each year. The practice reflects a wider government emphasis on publicly recognising border-guarding forces — a gesture that carries particular resonance given the continued strategic sensitivity of the LAC.
For the families of Himveers — many of whom spend months separated from their loved ones stationed at remote high-altitude posts — messages like these from the political leadership carry a weight beyond protocol.
Point of View
But the ITBP occupies a uniquely sensitive strategic slot — its mandate runs directly along the LAC with China, a frontier that has seen recurring friction in recent years. When senior political figures invoke the force's foundational values publicly, it also serves as a soft reaffirmation of India's resolve on the northern border without requiring a formal policy statement. For Khattar, extending this tribute aligns his public profile with national-security optics that resonate broadly with the BJP's base. The annual drumbeat of such acknowledgements collectively keeps border-force morale — and public awareness of the Himveers' sacrifices — in the national frame.
NationPress
24 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the ITBP established and why?
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police was raised on 24 October 1962 , during the Sino-Indian War, specifically to guard India's Himalayan borders with China.
What does 'Himveer' mean in the context of ITBP?
'Himveer' — meaning 'Hero of the Himalayas' — is the popular name given to ITBP personnel who serve at high-altitude posts along the Line of Actual Control.
What is ITBP's motto?
The ITBP's guiding motto is Shaurya, Dridhata, Karm-Nishtha , which translates to Valour, Fortitude, and Dedication to Duty.
Who is Manohar Lal Khattar?
Manohar Lal Khattar is a senior BJP leader serving as Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs; he previously served as Chief Minister of Haryana.
Where is the ITBP deployed?
ITBP personnel are deployed primarily along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China across high-altitude Himalayan sectors, including some of the most extreme and remote terrain in the world.
