English
Kargil Vijay Diwas: The two-day event to mark Vijay Diwas and commemorate the martyrdom of the 559 soldiers in the 1999 Kargil war kicked-started in Drass on Tuesday. The celebrations begin at Lamochen view point where war heroes and families of fallen soldiers remembered the brave souls. On July 26, 1999, the Indian Army announced the successful culmination of “Operation Vijay”, declaring victory after a nearly three-month-long battle at the icy heights of Kargil, including super-high-altitude locations, such as Tololing and Tiger Hill. The Kargil War saw soldiers of the Indian armed forces fight in the most challenging terrain under harsh weather conditions leading to the defeat of the enemy in Drass, Kargil and Batalik sectors.
WATCH | Army chief General Manoj Pande’s speech during Kargil Vijay Diwas Celebrations in Ladakh
#WATCH | Ladakh: Army chief General Manoj Pande says, "The country will never forget the supreme sacrifice of the soldiers in the 1999 Kargil war…Operation Vijay was a difficult & high-intensity military operation. It was a difficult terrain that was under the possession of the… pic.twitter.com/3dn3H7nqIv
— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2023
Chief of the Air Staff VR Chaudhari pays solemn tribute
Chief of the Air Staff VR Chaudhari honors fallen soldiers on Kargil Vijay Diwas, laying a wreath at Kargil War Memorial in Drass to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives during the 1999 Kargil War.
Rajnath Singh Lays Wreath At Kargil War Memorial, Pays Tribute To Soldiers
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who arrived in Drass in Ladakh on Wednesday on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, laid a wreath at the Kargil War Memorial and paid tributes to the soldiers who lost their lives in the 1999 Kargil War.
Ladakh | Three Cheetal helicopters fly past the Kargil War Memorial in Drass and shower flower petals
#WATCH | Ladakh | Three Cheetal helicopters of Army Aviation fly past the Kargil War Memorial in Drass and shower flower petals. #KargilVijayDiwas2023 pic.twitter.com/WV5ZhwWXbs
— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2023
Kargil War: PM Modi remembers fallen heroes
“Kargil Vijay Diwas brings to the fore the heroic saga of those wonderful bravehearts of India, who will always remain an inspiration for the countrymen. On this special day, I bow down and salute him from the bottom of my heart. Long live India!,” PM Narendra Modi tweeted.
कारगिल विजय दिवस भारत के उन अद्भुत पराक्रमियों की शौर्यगाथा को सामने लाता है, जो देशवासियों के लिए सदैव प्रेरणाशक्ति बने रहेंगे। इस विशेष दिवस पर मैं उनका हृदय से नमन और वंदन करता हूं। जय हिंद!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 26, 2023
History of Kargil War
As history has it, India was successful in evicting the Pakistani troops from its territory as the war ended on July 26.
This momentous day came to be known as Kargil Vijay Diwas. It should be noted that 527 soldiers sacrificed their lives for the country during the war.
The Kargil War was fought between May-July of 1999 in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir along the Line of Control (LoC) in which India got victory.
The Kargil war was fought for more than 60 days and ended on 26 July.
On this date in 1999 Pakistan army took advantage of the melting snow and betraying the bilateral understanding of both the nations (that the post would remain unattended during the winter season) took command of the high outposts of India.
Pakistan army refused the claims that its soldiers were involved in the war and claimed that they were the rebels from Kashmir itself, but the ammunition, identity cards, rations stores and other evidence prove that the Pakistan army was behind this cowardly act.
How is Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrated?
Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated all across the country. The Prime Minister of India is known to pay tribute to the martyrs at Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate every year. There is a Kargil War memorial as well in Dras on the foothills of Tololing Hill. It was built by the Indian Army and honours the soldiers who lost their lives during the war. Interestingly, the gateway of the memorial has a poem named ‘Pushp Kii Abhilasha’ inscribed on it and the names of the martyrs are also inscribed on the Memorial Wall there.
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on India.com.
