Kargil Vijay Diwas: President Kovind Pays Tribute To Kargil

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 26, Jul 2019, 16:43 pm IST | UPDATED: 26, Jul 2019, 16:43 pm IST

Delhi: India will commemorate 20 years of the Kargil War today. Bad weather on Friday prevented President Ram Nath Kovind from visiting the Drass war memorial and he instead arrived here to pay tributes to war matryrs on the 20th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Earlier today, President Kovind took on Twitter and wrote "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 'Victory Flame' lit by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on July 14 at the National War Memorial in Delhi will be received by the army chief in Drass on Friday. It will be be merged with the eternal flame at the Kargil war memorial.

Kargil Vijay Diwas, named after the successful Operation Vijay, is celebrated in memory of Indian soldiers successfully taking command of the high outposts captured by Pakistan during the 1999 war.

The Pakistani army was found to have intruded into the Indian territory across the Line of Control, and occupied various strategic peaks, including Tololing Heights, Tiger Hill and Point 4875 (Batra Top), overlooking the Srinagar-Leh National Highway and targeted traffic on it.

The Indian Army launched 'Operation Vijay' in May 1999 and regained the territory after evicting the intruders in a fierce battle, considered the toughest in the military history of high-altitude warfare in mountainous terrain.

The Defence Ministry announced that the 20th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas will be celebrated in Delhi and Drass (in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir) from July 25 to 27, with numerous activities planned all over the country from the first week of July.