DRAS/NEW DELHI, July 26: India on Friday hailed the valour of its soldiers in the Kargil conflict 25 years ago with Prime Minister Narendra Modi issuing a stern message to Pakistan, saying it has been trying to stay relevant by using terrorism and proxy wars but all such terror attempts will be crushed with full force.
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Various events were organised in states and at the Kargil War Memorial in Dras in Ladakh to mark the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas.
In Parliament, members paid their homage to the fallen soldiers. As a mark of respect to the over 500 soldiers who laid their lives in the war, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members stood in silence for a brief while.
President Droupadi Murmu said the Kargil Vijay Diwas is an occasion to pay tributes to the courage and extraordinary valour of the country’s armed forces.
“I pay tribute to each soldier who made the supreme sacrifice while protecting Mother India on the peaks of Kargil in 1999 and bow in reverence to their sacred memory. I am sure that all countrymen will draw inspiration from their sacrifice and valour. Jai Hind Jai Bharat!” she said in a post in Hindi on X.
A shepherd named Tashi Namgyal is believed to have reported the intrusion by Pakistani soldiers into Kargil on May 2, 1999. The Indian Army launched a fierce counter-assault, Operation Vijay, to push back the Pakistani forces that had stealthily occupied important heights in Ladakh. The war went on for nearly three months on the icy heights.
On July 26, 1999, the Army announced the successful culmination of Operation Vijay, declaring victory over Pakistan.
Addressing a ceremony at the Kargil memorial in Dras, Modi said “falsehood and terror” were brought down to their knees by truth in the 1999 war. He also noted that Pakistan has not learnt anything from its past.
“Today, I am speaking at a place from where the masters of terror can hear my voice directly. I want to tell these patrons of terrorism that their nefarious intentions will never succeed,” Modi said in the presence of India’s top military brass.
Paying glowing tributes to the fallen soldiers, he said, “In Kargil, we not only won the war, we presented an incredible example of truth, restraint and strength,” adding, “The nation is forever indebted and deeply grateful to the mighty superheroes of our armed forces.”
The war saw Indian armed forces fight in the most challenging terrains amid harsh weather conditions in Drass, Kargil and Batalik sectors.
In his message, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, “Today, on the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, we remember the indomitable spirit and courage of the brave soldiers who fought valiantly in the 1999 war.”
In a post on X, he also said, “Their unwavering commitment, valour and patriotism ensured that our country remained safe and secure. Their service and sacrifice will continue to inspire every Indian and our coming generations.”
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan and all ranks of the armed forces also recalled the supreme sacrifice of the “bravehearts”.
“We draw inspiration from the heroes of Kargil, and we will continue to honour their legacy by defending our nation with courage, honour, and sacrifice,” the headquarters of the Integrated Defence Staff said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said Indian soldiers displayed the ultimate valour in the inaccessible hills of the Himalayas during the Kargil War and forced the enemy army to kneel.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also paid tributes to the brave soldiers who defended the nation’s territory during the conflict. “On Kargil Vijay Diwas, salute the valour and dedication of our brave soldiers. The legacy of their courage and patriotism acts as a guiding light for all Indians.”
The Congress said the country will always be indebted to the soldiers for their supreme sacrifice.
“Congratulations to our brave soldiers, their families and all Indians on the occasion of 25th ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’. We bow our heads in tribute to the martyrdom of our heroes who made the supreme sacrifice while protecting our motherland in the Kargil War,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also paid tributes to the martyrs of the Kargil War.
“On Kargil Vijay Diwas, my salutations to the immortal martyrs who sacrificed themselves to protect India. The country will always be indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice,” he said in a post in Hindi on X.
Namgyal recalled he saw some people breaking stones and clearing the snow on the mountain and suspecting something fishing, rushed to inform the Indian Army outpost.
“The men were dressed in black uniforms and were building a post with rocks. My job was to report; identifying who they were was the army’s job,” Namgyal told PTI.
For the families of the soldiers who laid down their lives protecting Indian territory from intruders, Kargil Vijay Diwas is an occasion that invokes feelings of both pain and pride.
Every year for the last 25 years, a Kargil war braveheart has been visiting the home of his buddy Udayman Singh, who fell to Pakistani bullets during the battle to recapture Tiger Hill.
For Vir Chakra recipient Colonel Sachin Nimbalkar, this has become a ritual and fulfilment of a promise he made to himself in the biting cold of the hill in 1999.
An officer said Colonel Nimbalkar last met the parents of the soldier on July 4 this year. Incidentally, it was on the night of July 4 during the Kargil war, that the 18 Grenadiers team was tasked with recapturing the Tiger Hill top. In the ensuing gun battle, Grenadier Singh received a gunshot and succumbed to his injuries on July 5.
Later, as the others were busy celebrating India’s victory, Colonel Nimbalkar, then a young Captain who led his troops to victory in the battle of Tiger Hill, remembered his fallen buddy with whom he had taken part in many encounters against terrorists and had forged a strong bond of trust and camaraderie.
Recalling his time on the battlefield, retired Subedar Major and Honorary Captain Yogendra Singh Yadav said, “It is a matter of good fortune for me that I was in front of the commanders, as a soldier I got a chance to fight in these mountains with these commanders. Under their leadership we got good planning and leadership quality and that is why these 19-20 year old boys wrote the history of the country with their blood.”
Another ex-serviceman, Honorary Lieutenant of the Ladakh Scouts Tashi Tsering, was among the first to be called in to defend the country.
Tsering, along with six other from the Ladakh Scouts infantry regiment, was asked to join the platoon of Major Manoj Pandey of the Gorkha Rifles.
“By the time we reached, there was a terrorist on every hill and did not give us a chance to even raise our heads. We had soldiers of 10 GR, and six Ladakh Scouts with us and as soon as we reached, they started firing at us,” Tsering said.
After an initial setback as two soldiers were hit, it was decided that the attack at the same place would take place the next day to push the enemy back.
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