New Delhi: On the 22nd anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas, President Ram Nath Kovind President Ram Nath laid wreath at the Baramulla War Memorial in honour of the indomitable courage and sacrifice of the armed forces during the 1999 Kargil War, Indian Army officials said. Kovind, who is on a four-day visit to the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh starting Sunday, was to visit the Kargil War Memorial, located on the foothills of the Tololing in the Dras sector of Kargil. He, however, called off the plan due to bad weather. The battle of Tololing on June 13, 1999, was the the first major victory for the Indian Army against the Pakistan's Northern Light Infantry and was a turning point in the war.
Remembering the sacrifices and valour of heroes of the Kargil war, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said their bravery motivates the country every day. "We remember their sacrifices. We remember their valour. Today, on Kargil Vijay Diwas, we pay homage to all those who lost their lives in Kargil protecting our nation. Their bravery motivates us every single day," tweeted Prime Minister Modi.
Also read: Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations begin at Dras sector in J-K
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday paid tributes to the heroes of the 1999 Kargil War, recalling their valour and sacrifice. "On Kargil Vijay Diwas, I join the nation in remembering our armed forces' saga of valour & gallantry. I salute the heroes of the Kargil war & Operation Vijay and pay my respectful homage to the martyrs for their supreme sacrifice," the Vice President Secretariat tweeted, quoting Naidu. "The nation will remain forever grateful to them & their families," the vice president said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, too, took to Twitter to honour those who went down fighting for the nation in Kargil. "Tributes to every soldier who laid down his life in honour of the tri-colour. We will always remember the supreme sacrifice by your or your family members. Jai Hind," he tweeted in Hindi.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, Army Chief General MM Naravane, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, and CISC Vice Admiral Atul Jain paid thier tributes at the National War Memorial in Delhi. In his message in the visitors' book at the National War Memorial, Singh recalled the valour of the bravehearts of the Kargil conflict, saying that nation will never forget the sacrifice made by the gallant heroes of Indian Armed Forces. He added that the grateful nation will always be indebted to their courage and continue to follow their ideals.
Day coincides with Swarnim Vijay Varsh
This year's Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations were unique in two ways as the day coincided with the ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh Victory Flame’ reaching the Kargil War Memorial. The Journey of the Victory Flame across the country commemorates 50 years of triumph in the 1971 Indo-Pak War.
On 26 July, at the Kargil War Memorial, the proceedings commenced with the reception of the ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh Victory Flame’ at the Kargil War Memorial by General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff in the presence of Lt Gen YK Joshi, GOC-in-C Northern Command, Lt Gen PGK Menon, GOC 14 Corps, Lt Gen DP Pandey, GOC 15 Corps and Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar, GOC 16 Corps, other officers, gallantry awardees, Veer Naris, NoKs of martyrs and civil dignitaries. It was followed by a solemn Wreath Laying Ceremony by esteemed civil and military dignitaries. The gallantry awardees of the Kargil War, next of kin of bravehearts, and veer naris also paid their tributes to the fallen heroes with tearful nostalgia. Every year on this day, the nation pays homage to the supreme sacrifices made by our Bravehearts during Operation VIJAY in the Kargil War of 1999.
Also read: Northern Army Commander undertakes over 400 Kms bike ride to Kargil
As a mark of homage to the Kargil martyrs, the Indian Army undertook two mega bike rallies traversing more than 1,000 km in treacherous mountains of the Valley and Ladakh, converging at the historic Kargil War Memorial. Early on Sunday, the Army had organised a special event narrating the stories of Operation VIJAY at Lamochen near Dras. Accounts of the epic battles on Tololing, Tiger Hill and Pt 4875 were narrated, with the audience getting a live sight of all these landmarks in front of their eyes.
The Kargil War took place between May 3 and July 26, 1999, in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LOC). While the 60-day long war resulted in the loss of several lives on both sides, India eventually won the war and regained control of all the previously held territory.
