Kargil Vijay Divas

Its been a decade since May  – July 1999 and today India celebrates it’s 10th anniversary of Kargil War.

This was a war that claimed the lives of over 500 of India’s bravest soldiers. There are no words which can do justice to the valiant act of our brave soldiers, to whom we are indebted forever. They are our True and real heroes.

These real life heroes fought the enemy in a terrain and altitude, where probably the everyday Joe that’s You and me would have difficulty in just moving from one spot to the other.

Today, with so much of media buzz I recollected my meeting with one of these Kargil heroes who had visited our College after this heroic victory. The way that legend spoke to us of the environment that was at the mountain peak, surviving that itself was a war.  It was a high altitude warfare in a mountainous terrain.

He mentioned on that during these unbearable and severe freezing chilly coldness, the armymen at times actually sat “on” the fireplace to beat the cold.  I remember the heroic soldier mentioning of the different phases of this heavy war.

Starting with Pakistan, infiltrating forces into the Indian-controlled section of Kashmir and occupying strategic locations enabling it to control NH1.

The final attacks from our Forces happened in the last week of July and the fighting ceased on July 26 with our Victory. True to our country’s heroic character despite having to pay a heavy price for fighting a war within its territory, the Indian forces allowed the Pakistanis return across the Line of Control.

Casualties for both sides were heavy.

By the end of the war, India had resumed control of all territory south and east of the Line of Control, as was established in July 1972 as per the Shimla Accord. The day has since been marked as Kargil Vijay Diwas  – Kargil Victory Day in India.