Kargil Vijay Diwas: A brother recalls heart-wrenching story of martyred soldier

While India pays tribute to our brave martyred soldiers on the 21st anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, ETV Bharat speaks to the brother of the martyr Surendra Pal Yadav from Muradnagar who lost his life while fighting with the enemies in the Dras sector of Kargil district in Jammu and Kashmir.

Muradnagar (Uttar Pradesh): As the nation observes 21st anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas that marked India’s triumph over Pakistan in 1999, Jitendra Yadav, younger brother of the martyr Surendra Pal Yadav recalled the valour and sacrifice of his brother while fighting the war in Kargil which left his family into a never-ending sorrow.

While speaking to ETV Bharat, Jitendra told that a total of 527 soldiers was martyred in the Kargil war when they bombed the Pakistani soldiers from a height of 32000 ft. Surendra Pal Yadav, who hailed from Surana village, was one of those martyred soldiers.

Surendra was posted as a soldier in the Naga Regiment

"Surendra was posted as a soldier in the Naga Regiment and fought against the enemies in the Dras sector of Kargil district. He was martyred while fighting the Pakistani soldiers on a hill on July 1, 1999," Jitendra said.

His family received the news of his martyrdom at 11:00 pm on July 3, following which his mortal remains reached the village on the afternoon of July 4 and his last rites were carried out.

Jitendra also told, "Surendra had written a letter on June 28 describing how the situation was getting worse due to heavy Pakistan shelling and he might not survive. However, the letter was received on July 5 after his martyrdom."

Commenting on the escalating tension between India and China, Jitendra urged the Central government to resolve the matter with peace talks as no war has helped in resolving the conflicts.

India and Pakistan fought the Kargil war between May and July of 1999 in Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil district, along the Line of Control (LOC). During the war, the Indian Army pushed back the intruders and succeeded in taking back all the posts taken by the intruders. The three-month-long conflict led to a loss of life on both sides with the Indian side losing nearly 490 officers, soldiers, and jawans.

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