Today marks the 20th anniversary of Operation Vijay that saw the Indian Army successfully forcing Pakistani troops to withdraw from occupied regions in Kashmir. Commemorating the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to the “mighty warriors who sacrificed everything to defend the motherland”.
"I pray from my heart for all the heroic sons of Mother India (Maa Bharati) on Kargil Vijay Divas. This day reminds us of the courage, bravery and dedication of our soldiers," he tweeted.
Kargil Vijay Diwas marks two decades since the end of the 1999 war, the last and only armed conflict between two nuclear powers.
Modi also tweeted photos of his visit to army camps during the war.
"During the Kargil War in 1999, I had the opportunity to go to Kargil and show solidarity with our brave soldiers. This was the time when I was working for my Party in J&K as well as Himachal Pradesh. The visit to Kargil and interactions with soldiers are unforgettable."
In the photographs, he is seen interacting with Army men and meeting wounded soldiers.
President Ram Nath Kovind visited the Kargil-Drass sector in the morning, where the moment was commemorated by the three service chiefs of the armed forces — the Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Air Staff Birender Singh Dhanoa and the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Karambir Singh.
Paying tribute to the soldiers and martyrs of Kargil, the President tweeted:
"On Kargil Vijay Diwas, a grateful nation acknowledges the gallantry of our Armed Forces on the heights of Kargil in 1999. We salute the grit and valour of those who defended India and record our everlasting debt to those who never returned. Jai Hind!"
A 'bloody war' won with exemplary valour: Lt Gen Hooda
Former Northern Command chief Lieutenant General (retired) D S Hooda termed Kargil as a "bloody war" and one of the major challenges faced by the Army since the 1971 engagement with Pakistan that resulted in the birth of Bangladesh.
The war began on May 3, 1999, and ended a few weeks later on July 26, with Indian soldiers winning back hills occupied by Pakistani forces.
"Kargil was was one of the major challenges the Indian Army faced since 1971...A local shepherd came and alerted the Indian Army about some infiltrations of Pakistanis...It was a big surprise. Nobody had imagined Pakistani infiltrators would intrude and hide there," recalled Hooda.
He said Indian soldiers showed exemplary valour fighting forces who were at a height and successfully pushed them back, adding that 500 soldiers laid down their lives and another 1500 got injured.
"This was not a small level fight....the war went on for three months. It was a bloody war and our soldiers had to face tough situations while conquering the posts captured by the Pakistanis," he said.
"Because of the bravery and martyrdom of our soldiers, the country is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Operation Vijay," the former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Army's Northern Command said.
Hooda was chief of the Northern Command during the surgical strike on Pakistan in September 2016 following the Uri terror attack.
Pride and honour of our jawans: Rajnath
Lauding the heroes of the Kargil war, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said he will do his best to ensure that no harm comes to the pride and honour of the soldiers.
Addressing a gathering of war veterans, Kargil war widows and others at an event held here to commemorate 20 years of Operation Vijay, Singh also asserted that people's "faith in armed forces has increased".
"Whatever we can do to honour our martyrs is less. We honour them and salute the war widows present here. We feel proud of our soldiers," he said.
"I can only say this from my side that I will do my best and whatever is possible to ensure that no harm comes to the honour, pride and esteem of our jawans," the defence minister said to thunderous applause.
Army holds 'Kargil Victory Run' in Delhi
Commemorating 20 years of 'Operation Vijay', thousands of people Sunday participated in a 'victory run' on Rajpath here to pay homage to the heroes of Kargil war.
Adjutant General Lt Gen Ashwini Kumar flagged off the 'Kargil Victory Run' from Vijay Chowk.
"The run was organised to celebrate the nation's victory in Kargil in 1999 and pay homage to our bravehearts who took part in the conflict," a senior official said.
More than 6,000 people, including various dignitaries and children, participated in the event, the Army tweeted.
A number of events have been organised by the Army to commemorate 20 years of Kargil war, and a few major ones are lined up later this week.
Border guarding forces to undertake week-long events
To mark 'Kargil Vijay Diwas', border guarding forces like the ITBP and the BSF Saturday launched a special series of programmes that will showcase the tales of bravery of soldiers as well as police and paramilitary personnel.
The Union Home Ministry, which controls these forces including the SSB and the Assam Rifles, has directed that the celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the victory in Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir will be undertaken for a week, all along with the formations of these forces.
These forces will hold cultural events, honour family members of those army troops who were killed during the war code-named 'Operation Vijay', organise blood donation and health checkup camps, hold motivational lectures and conduct an educational tour of the Kargil area for school children, a senior official said.
"The central armed police forces that guard the borders will felicitate Kargil war heroes' families and celebrate 'Kargil Vijay Diwas' with army field formations," Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) spokesperson Vivek Pandey said.
He said the force, tasked to guard the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, will organise special shows to run a seven-minute movie prepared by the Defence Ministry on the victory in Kargil. Photo galleries will also be set up to tell about the bravery of those who laid down their lives in the line of duty, Pandey said.
"The Border Security Force will make an endeavour to reach out to the frontier population and make them aware of contributions of armed forces in national security and nation-building," a BSF spokesman said.
He said the force, tasked to guard sensitive Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, will organise a weapons display event and camel safari for the youth so that they can be inspired to join these forces and serve the country.
The BSF will also showcase its role during the Kargil war, he said.
Defence forces of the army, air force and navy are also holding similar events.
(With inputs from PTI)
