Rajnath Singh pays homage to Kargil heroes in Dras; Army chief salutes soldiers’ courage
The memorial of Kargil war's fallen heroes in Dras. (RNA Media photo by Anjali Manhas.)
Dras: The defence minister, Rajnath Singh, on Sunday paid homage to the soldiers who laid down their lives during the 1999 Kargil War, as India observed the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas at the Kargil War Memorial in Dras. General Dhiraj Seth, the chief of the Army staff, also paid tribute to the fallen soldiers, hailing the courage of Indian troops and saying, “No one can match the Indian soldier.”
Singh laid a wreath at the memorial during the ‘Shradhanjali Samaroh’, the main wreath-laying ceremony marking the anniversary of Operation Vijay. Ladakh lieutenant governor VK Saxena, Gen Seth, Northern Command chief lieutenant general Pratik Sharma and other senior military officers also paid their respects to the war heroes.
Remembering the soldiers of the Kargil conflict, Gen Seth said their “valour and unwavering resolve” had scripted a “golden history of victory”. He described Kargil Vijay Diwas as an “immortal symbol” of the Indian Army’s courage, devotion to duty and supreme sacrifice.
Seth further said the sacrifice of the Kargil heroes remains an “inexhaustible source of inspiration” for every warrior of the force. The memorial ceremony was marked by a flypast in which three helicopters flew in an arrowhead formation and showered flower petals over the memorial in tribute to the fallen soldiers.
The commemorations began on Saturday with “Shaurya Sandhya” at the Kargil War Memorial. Singh attended the ceremony and handed ceremonial “kalash” to family members of Army personnel who were killed during the Kargil conflict.
Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorates the culmination of Operation Vijay on July 26, 1999, when Indian troops reclaimed the heights occupied by Pakistani forces following their infiltration across the Line of Control.
The Army fought the ground battle under Operation Vijay, while the Air Force conducted Operation Safed Sagar in support of the military campaign. The armed forces followed a strategy of containing, evicting and denying the intruders while remaining within the Indian side of the line of control (LoC).
