Nation is observing today the Kargil Vijay Diwas dedicated to those brave sons of the country who defied all odds to drive enemy troops out of Kargil and raise the victory flag on inaccessible peaks.
The Indian Army launched ‘Operation Vijay' in May 1999, liberating the peaks from Pakistani occupation in a two-month battle. The short but intense war was fought in Jammu and Kashmir's high-altitude mountains of Kargil, Dras, and Batalik.
The war began on May 3, 1999, when Pakistani soldiers occupied strategic mountain peaks, giving them a clear advantage over Indian forces. The Pakistani infiltration caught the Indian Army off guard. However, the Indian government reacted quickly to the crisis, launching Operation Vijay to evict Pakistani forces. The Indian Army fought valiantly in the high-altitude Mountains, eventually recapturing all of the occupied territories during the preceding winters.
India won a decisive victory in the Kargil War. The war dealt a significant blow to Pakistan while also helping to restore India's military reputation. It also serves as a reminder of the sacrifices that our soldiers make in order to protect our country.
During the conflict, the Pakistani Army played a notorious role. It attempted to disown its soldiers at first, denying any involvement in the conflict and blaming everything on Kashmiri insurgent groups.
However, when evidence of Pakistani paramilitary troops' involvement in the form of documents left behind by victims, testimonies of prisoners of war (POW), and subsequent claims by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Pervez Musharraf emerged, they backtracked.
Amidst its world known role of sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir and frequent violations of LoC, the crafty Pakistanis dubiously agreed to find a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue on a bilateral basis and signed the Lahore Declaration in February 1999 purportedly to reduce tensions along the border.
However, the Pakistani armed forces units during the winter of 1998-1999, secretly trained and dispatched Pakistani soldiers and paramilitary units into areas on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LOC) on Kargil heights.
This Pakistani invasion was intended to break the link between Kashmir and Ladakh, Pakistan also expected that any regional unrest would internationalize the Kashmir issue and facilitate a quick resolution. Another goal could have been to actively contribute to the morale of the then a decade old insurgency in Jammu Kashmir.
India responded with Operation Vijay, which involved the deployment of 200,000 Indian troops. On July 26, 1999, the Pakistani Army was forced to flee its seized positions, effectively ending the conflict. Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorates this victory. During the conflict, 527 members of the Indian Armed Forces died defending the borders of their beloved country.
The Kargil War was a costly conflict for India too, with 527 Indian soldiers giving supreme sacrifice of their lives in defence of their country, and they will never be forgotten. Young, brave, and determined Indian soldiers fought in the Kargil War. They fought under difficult and dangerous conditions, against overwhelming odds. They did not, however, give up and eventually triumphed.
Indian soldiers' sacrifices in the Kargil War will never be forgotten. They are the true war heroes, and they deserve our eternal gratitude.
Let us all remember the sacrifices made by our brave hearts on Kargil Vijay Diwas and reaffirm our commitment to national security.
