"Visit border every Diwali to meet soldiers": PM Modi recalls Chango visit during Viksit Vibrant Village Programme
New Delhi, July 26
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with participants of the Viksit Vibrant Village Programme 2026 through video conferencing and recalled his visit to Himachal Pradesh's Chango region, located along the border, during Diwali in 2016.
During the interaction, PM Modi recalled his 2016 visit to Himachal Pradesh's Chango region, located right along the border, highlighting that he visits the border every Diwali to meet soldiers stationed in the area.
"I visit the border every Diwali to meet our soldier brothers. It is a coincidence that in 2016, I visited the Chango region, located right along the border during Diwali..." said PM Modi.
Sharing experience of visiting Chango village, Nikita, a participant of the Viksit Vibrant Village Programme 2026, recalled her interactions with local communities who lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led developmental policies in the area.
She asserted that the village underwent a major transformation owing to the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, which provided sturdy roads to the region. She added that residents now have access to household tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Nikita further mentioned that locals expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for the Ayushman Bharat scheme, as the scheme made people's lives easier in the village.
"When I traveled to Chango, I had prepared myself based on what I had seen in online reels--thinking there would be no mobile network or electricity. But when I actually set out and saw the towering mountains and the well-constructed, sturdy roads winding along the steep slopes, I was amazed. I spoke to the locals and asked how this came to be; they told me that none of this existed before and they used to face great hardships. This transformation became possible thanks to the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. They also mentioned that previously, they didn't have piped drinking water at home, but now, thanks to our Prime Minister and the Jal Jeevan Mission, they have access to drinking water right in their homes. Furthermore, they said that there is round-the-clock electricity and network connectivity here and they said thanks to the Prime Minister, the Ayushman Bharat scheme has boosted our confidence regarding healthcare and made our lives easier..." said Nikita.
Additonally, PM Modi also praised the functioning of the 'Mera Yuva Bharat' (MY Bharat) platform, emphasising that crores of young people across the country are connected to this platform.
Praising the youth of the country, PM Modi asserted that participants of the MY Bharat platform have demonstrated their capability in various programmes, including the 'Viksit Bharat' dialogue and the 'Vibrant Village' programme.
"Today's event is truly special. Young people from around 250 districts nationwide are participating in this program. I extend my greetings to you all. A few years ago, we launched the 'Mera Yuva Bharat' (MY Bharat) platform. Today, crores of young people across the country are connected to it, and MY Bharat volunteers are doing commendable work nationwide. From the 'Viksit Bharat' dialogue to the 'Vibrant Village' program, you have all demonstrated your capabilities admirably. During the 'Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue,' I shared an idea with the youth. The idea was: why shouldn't young people step out onto the ground--moving beyond virtual mediums--to discover India, connect with it, experience life in India, and truly understand the country? It is only by visiting villages that one realises the immense aspirations for development that exist there," said PM Modi.
Meanwhile, the Viksit Vibrant Village Programme, implemented through MY Bharat, was conceptualised to realise the Prime Minister's vision of treating India's border villages as the first villages of the nation and making them active partners in the journey towards Viksit Bharat.
The programme was organised in two phases from June 4 to June 30, which covered 74 vibrant villages across Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Over 400 youth participants, representing every State and Union Territory, were selected through a nationwide online quiz competition that witnessed participation from more than three lakh youth.
As part of the programme, participants lived with local communities and undertook activities such as Swachhta drives, awareness campaigns on Government schemes, Yuva Sammelans, cultural exchange programmes, tree plantation drives, Mini Model Panchayat simulations, interactions with local artisans and visits to institutions of strategic importance.
The programme provided participants with first-hand exposure to the socio-economic landscape, cultural heritage and developmental aspirations of India's frontier regions, while fostering community participation, national integration and a deeper understanding of the strategic importance of border villages.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's nice to see programs like this that expose young people to remote areas. As someone from the US, I visited rural India once and was struck by the infrastructure gaps. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission seem to be making real progress, even in border villages. Hope the MY Bharat platform keeps this momentum going.
Honestly, I'm skeptical. Visiting once in 2016 and then talking about it in 2026? 😅 The soldiers deserve consistent support, not just Diwali photo-ops. But I must give credit where due—the village transformation Nikita described sounds real. Good roads, water, electricity, and Ayushman Bharat coverage are basic rights, not charity. Let's hope these benefits last beyond elections.
Our jawans are the real heroes—salute to them. 🫡 The Viksit Vibrant Village Programme sounds excellent, especially involving youth from across India. My nephew participated in a similar camp in Ladakh and came back with a whole new perspective. Connecting urban and rural India is the need of the hour. PM sahi kar rahe hain!
Impressive initiative! The MY Bharat platform connecting crores of youth is huge. I work with NGOs in remote areas and know how hard infrastructure is to build in the Himalayas. The fact that these volunteers lived in villages, did Swachhta drives, and interacted with locals shows genuine engagement. Hope this model scales to other border regions too.
The idea of treating border villages as 'first villages' is poetic and pragmatic. Growing up in
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