Jammu Tawi, July 26: President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday paid tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the Kargil War. The President, also the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, laid a wreath at the Dagger War Memorial in Baramulla of Jammu & Kashmir.
The President was slated to visit Dras to pay homage to the indomitable courage and sacrifice of the Indian Armed Forces during the Kargil War in 1999. But his Dras visit was cancelled due to bad weather.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu 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.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid homage to all those who lost their lives in Kargil protecting our nation. In a tweet, he said that their bravery motivates people every single day. He also shared an excerpt from last year’s Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio. He said that India can never forget the circumstances under which this Kargil war was fought.
On Kargil Vijay Diwas, from Jammu to Siachen homages were paid to martyrs of Kargil War where India defeated Pakistan in 1999. The Northern Command of the Army, which is responsible for the security of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, along with the Western Command, which ensures the security of the international border in Jammu, also remembered and paid tributes to the martyrs.
Along with the Dhruv War Memorial at Udhampur of Northern Command Headquarters, Nagrota 16 Corps , Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar of 15 Corps and at 14 Corps Headquarters Leh, along with Army officers, many veterans also paid homage to the Kargil martyrs. Army Commander Lt Gen YK Joshi along with three Corps Commanders were present in Drass on Monday to salute the Kargil martyrs. Kargil Vijay Diwas was celebrated with enthusiasm in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in Ladakh. The Siachen Brigade of the 14 Corps of the Army saluted the martyrs at the Siachen War Memorial. Along with this, military formations in eastern Ladakh also paid floral tributes to the martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas.
At the same time, the Tiger Division of the Western Command of the Army, which is responsible for the security of Jammu city, also paid tribute to the Kargil martyrs. GOC Major General Neeraj Gosain offered flowers to the martyrs at the Tiger War Memorial in Satwari. On this occasion, Lt Col Risma Sareen, wife of Martyr Ashok Chakra winner Major Mohit Sharma also paid tribute to the martyrs. Meanwhile, the Commanding Officer and Subedar Major of a platoon of the Tiger Division, who had participated in the Kargil War, also saluted the martyrs. This platoon got the Kargil Battle Honor.
NCC cadets reached the homes of Kargil martyrs:
NCC cadets reached the homes of martyrs on Monday to encourage the families of the soldiers who were martyred in the Kargil war. Despite heavy rains, NCC cadets with enthusiasm visited the homes of 28 Kargil martyrs in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, Poonch, Mendhar and Leh on 22nd Kargil Vijay Diwas, assuring them that the nation would always be grateful to the families of the martyrs.
Major General Ranjan Mahajan, Additional Director General, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh NCC Directorate, who organized this program in honor of the martyrs, interacted with the families of Kargil martyrs through video call. During this, he assured that the country is grateful to the families of the martyrs. All possible help will be given to them.
India is celebrating the 22nd Anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas today. In 1999, the Indian armed forces defeated attempts by Pakistan to capture strategic heights in Kargil. It was named ‘Operation Vijay’.
