Father of Kargil war hero recalls India's triumph of 'toughest war'

As India marks Kargil Vijay Diwas today, Gopichand Pandey, father of late Captain Manoj Pandey said that the Indian Army is capable of dealing with all the threats to the country and all Indians are proud of it.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh):As India celebrates Kargil Vijay Diwas on Monday, Gopichand Pandey, father of late Captain Manoj Pandey speaking to ETV Bharat said that Kargil War was one of the toughest wars in the world wherein the enemy had an advantage of the altitude, but still the Indian Army fought hard and reclaimed our peaks. He also shared his memories about Captain Manoj.

Speaking to the media, Pandey said he is proud of his son as he had lived up to his responsibilities as an Army man. I'm proud that my son gave his life for his motherland, and became an inspiration for many." He added that his son had joined the Army with the goal to win the Param Vir Chakra, which he did win posthumously.

Manoj destroyed all the four bunkers on his own

"He made the entire nation proud. He lived up to his responsibilities as an Army man. Happy to share that UP Sainik School has been renamed after him," he added. Recalling the 1999 Kargil war, Pandey said the situation was very bad as the terrorists made bunkers on the peaks of our mountains. "They were attacking our Army from the top. But our soldiers had put in all their efforts and reclaimed our mountains and land. As many as 527 army men died in the quest," the father of the martyred soldier said.

Manoj joined the Kargil war from 5 May 1999. After fighting for two months, they were given a target to engage against 47 Pakistanis who were perched atop the 7-km long Khalubar peak, who caused great damage to our army. It was not easy to go up and tackle those Pakistanis at an altitude of 18000 feet. However, Manoj took the initiative to do that difficult task.

All Indians are proud of our forces

The martyr's father added that the Indian Army is capable of dealing with all the threats to the country and all Indians are proud of it. "It is because of our army that we sleep peacefully at night," he added. Expressing pride and happiness, Pandey also added that a Sainik School in Uttar Pradesh has been named in memory of Captain Manoj Pandey.

The Indian armed forces had defeated Pakistan on July 26, 1999. Since then, the day is celebrated as 'Kargil Vijay Diwas' to honour the valour of the soldiers who took part in 'Operation Vijay'. Captain Pandey was posthumously awarded the 'Param Vir Chakra' for his audacious courage and leadership during the Kargil War in 1999. An officer of the 1st battalion, 11 Gorkha Rifles (1/11 GR), he sacrificed his life during the attack atop Khalubar Hills in Batalik Sector of Kargil.

The Kargil War took place between May and July 1999 after the Pakistani troops infiltrated the Indian territory and positioned themselves in key locations. The Indian Army was able to mobile its resources quickly based on the information provided by some local shepherds.