Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a visit to Kargil on Friday, the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, in remembrance of the valiant warriors who gave their lives in battle.
Around 9:20 a.m., PM Modi is expected to arrive at the Kargil War Memorial to honour these brave warriors.
Additionally, the Shinkun La Tunnel Project’s first blast will be virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The project entails building a 4.1 km twin-tube tunnel on the Nimu-Padum-Darcha Road at an elevation of roughly 15,800 feet, according to an official release. Ensuring all-weather connectivity to Leh is the goal of this tunnel.
The Shinkun La Tunnel will be the highest in the world when it is finished. It is anticipated to support Ladakh’s social and economic development in addition to improving the military’s ability to move quickly and with their equipment. Families of troops who lost loved ones in the 1999 battle with Pakistan at the frigid heights of Kargil reflect on the courage and sacrifice of their loved ones as India marks the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas today.
Vinod Kumar, the hero of Kargil, was married to Madhubala on May 18, 1997; he passed away on June 14, 1999. Being here makes me feel great, and I’m proud.
The elder brother of soldier Bejender Kumar, the hero of Kargil, Rajender Kumar, expressed his pride in his brother’s service to the nation’s defence. “I feel so proud; he died for the country. We remember him every day,” he said.
Wife of Kargil hero Group Captain K Nachiketa Rao, Prashanti claimed she used to pray for her husband’s return from Pakistan every day, just like all her fellow citizens.
K Nachiketa Rao was a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force who was captured by Pakistani forces before he was handed over to the Indian authorities. “I feel very proud. The bravery and courage he had shown. We were not married at the time of the war. We married after two years of it. Like all the other countrymen, we used to pray every day for his repatriation (from Pakistan). We feel proud as there are very few people who get such a chance to show such bravery and then get to comeback and live to tell those tales,” Prashanti said.
Every year on July 26, Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated to honour the accomplishments of Operation Vijay in 1999. Strategic sites in the Kargil sector of Jammu & Kashmir that had been infiltrated by terrorists and Pakistani soldiers were successfully regained by Indian forces during this fight.
Former commanding officer of the 18 Grenadiers, retired Brigadier Kushal Thakur, recalled that 34 troops from his unit gave their life to retake the vital peaks of Tololing and Tiger Hill in the Drass region. He said it is encouraging to see the families of these courageous troops grinning once more, even in the face of such a great loss.
Retired Brig Kushal Thakur said, “ As a commanding officer, I have a lot of bittersweet memories but it is important to sacrifice certain things for the country. 34 jawans sacrificed their lives. I still have the memories of those jawans and they will be with me till I die. Their families’ also made a lot of sacrifices. Today when I see those families they have suffered huge losses. Youths belonging to the age group 22 or 23 lost their lives and their children who were a few months old could not see the faces of their fathers. After 25 years they could overcome that sadness and it feels good to see them smiling again.”
