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Kargil Vijay Diwas: What Happened on This Day In 1999? History And Significance

On 26 July 1999, India won the war against Pakistan who infiltrated the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) disguised as Kashmiri militants in Kargil and Dras. In India, the conflict is referred to as Operation Vijay and since then, the Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on 26 July every year. The year 2021 will marks the 22nd anniversary of the Kargil War.

The Kargil War is all about the bravery of Indian soldiers who fought for more than two months with Pakistani paramilitary forces and finally won the battle regaining control of the highest outposts.

Kargil Vijay Diwas

The Kargil War or Operation Vijay resulted in the loss of many brave Indian soldiers. To pay a tribute to those war heroes, every year the day is celebrated to mark the brave effort of the Indian Army who overcame huge obstacles and won the battle against the Pakistan.

This year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote a letter to all the chief ministers of the country telling them to participate in the Kargil Vijay Diwas programme organised by the Ministry of Defence in Dras, a town in Kargil district in Jammu & Kashmir.

Significance Of Kargil Vijay Diwas

After the peaceful solution of the Lahore Declaration in 1999, in the same year during the winter, Pakistani soldiers secretly crossed the LOC and established their camps as Kashmiri militants on the side of the LoC meant for Indians. The LoC is a military control line between the Indian and Pakistani parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

This infiltration of the soldiers in 1999 was reported by some local shepherds. At first, the Indian soldiers responded to those Pakistani soldiers by sending a major military to drive them off but later found that there's an involvement of paramilitary forces of Pakistan.

Kargil Vijay Diwas

With the support of the Indian Air Force, Indian soldiers recaptured 75-80% of their intruded areas within two months while the rest 20-25% was handed over to India by Pakistan under international pressure. On 26 July 1999, this conflict officially ended and India regained her hold on Kargil.

The Kargil War is known for its high-altitude warfare, as the battle was fought in mountainous and high-altitude areas where the terrain is rough and narrow.

How Kargil Vijay Diwas Is Celebrated

Every year, Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on 26 July to remember the war soldiers who fought for 90 days with Pakistan and many bravely lost their lives for the mission Operation Vijay. To pay tribute to their sacrifices, this day is celebrated every year in India.

Kargil Vijay Diwas

The Kargil War memorial located in Dras and is built by the Indian Army to commemorate the martyrs of the Indian Army, soldiers who laid down their lives to protect their motherland. The names of all soldiers have been inscribed on the memorial wall and to honour them a giant national flag has been hoisted over it.

Around 530 soldiers sacrificed their lives in combat during Operation Vijay. Kargil Vijay Diwas holds great significance in Indian history due to the courageous act of these Indian soldiers who are no more with us but will always be remembered as Indian Army heroes.

Heroes Of Kargil War

Kargil Vijay Diwas
  • Captain Vikram Batra

Captain Vikram Batra was born in Palampur, a hill station in Himachal Pradesh. He was also called by the name Shershaah, which was his code name during the Kargil War. During the Kargil War, Batra recaptured Point 5140 and Point 4875 from Pakistani troops but got seriously injured during Operation Vijay. He saved many of his fellow soldiers' lives during the conflict but lost his life. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously by President KR Narayanan.

  • Manoj Kumar Pandey

Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey was also awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his leadership and audacious courage during Operation Vijay. He is known as the "Hero of Batalik" for his bravery. During the mission, he helped his battalion to move to a safer position, got badly injured yet managed to destroy his enemies to some extent. His last words were "Don't spare the enemies".

There are other brave soldiers who have lost their lives in the Kargil War. These soldiers will always be immortal in our hearts.

Jai Hind!