Kobra: It was with speed and spontaneity with which the Indian Army launched its attack on Pakistani Army, leading to their victory in 1999 Kargil war, says Kargil veteran Prem Chandra Pandey.
Gripping accounts of valour and fortitude from the battlefront of the war between India and Pakistan were recalled by Prem Chandra who survived Kargil war.
Every year, India observes Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26 to pay tributes to its brave martyrs to commemorate the success of 'Operation Vijay' launched by the Indian Army to recapture Indian territories held hostage by Pakistani intruders.
"A soldier is always a soldier. A soldier's duty is to serve the nation. It is my privilege that I had fought for my nation. I am blessed that I got this opportunity," said Pandey, adding that soldier never demands anything more than this.
Giving details of the incident, the brave soldier went on to add, "When the war broke out, I was present with a few battalions at Tiger Hills. We were engaged in counter-attacks. The battlefield was located at a height of 18000 feet. Soldiers from various regiments were supporting each other and we fought as a team."
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"Pakistani Army wanted to stake its claim on Tiger Hills and Moscow Valley. They also wanted to capture Ghumri Bridge which connects Leh with Kashmir. But we stood fiercely and did not allow it to happen," narrated Prem Chandra who feels that it was the strength and efforts of the Indian Army which made Operation Vijay a success.
Narrating the ordeal of losing his colleague, the soldier said, "I was 19 years old when I went for Kargil war. I lost one of my colleagues in front of my eyes. The Kargil battle went on for 52 days and we had to face a lot of struggle. Initially, we were not given food for a few days but things bounced back to normal soon."
According to the soldier, the war received a wide media coverage such that it came to be known as the first televised war of the country. And this happened for the first time in history.
"The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was satisfied and contented with our performance. The then Union Minister Yashwant Singh had arranged a meeting with Atal Ji and it was an honour for me. Atal Ji had given us a warm welcome and lauded our efforts," said Pandey, recollecting the memories.
After being retired from the army's post in 2013, Prem has been residing in Chhattisgarh's Korba. He now lives a simple life and has set an example for the younger generation.
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