July 26 is celebrated as the Kargil Vijay Diwas to commemorate the victory of Operation Vijay in 1999. While the war lasted for 60 days and resulted in the loss of several lives on both sides, India eventually won the war by regaining control of all the previously held territory, re-establishing the status quo. The operation was launched by the Indian Army to recapture the Indian territories from Pakistani intruders in the Kargil-Drass sector.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Kargil martyrs in a tweet where he also shared an excerpt from his radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ where he had spoken about these Kargil warriors. In the tweet, he wrote, “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. Also sharing an excerpt from last year’s ’Mann Ki Baat.’”
President Ram Nath Kovind who was supposed to be present at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass had to cancel his trip owing to bad weather in Ladakh, officials said. Now, he will instead lay a wreath at the Baramulla War Memorial this year to commemorate the fallen heroes of the 1999 conflict.
Even in 2019, due to the bad weather, President Kovind has to cancel his visit to Drass and had instead paid his tributes by laying a wreath at a war memorial at the Army’s 15 Corps headquarters in Badamibagh in Srinagar.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu also paid his tribute to the fallen Bravehearts via Twitter. “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 & pay my respectful homage to the martyrs for their supreme sacrifice,” he tweeted.
Next in line were 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 who were seen paying tributes to the soldiers at the National War Memorial in Delhi.
The anniversary is celebrated every year across the nation to show respect and gratitude towards armed forces who lost their lives in the process to re-capture all positions that had been seized by the Pakistan Army.
Source: dnaindia.com