INDIA. Mumbai: A homage was paid to war heroes on 22 and Kargil Vijay Diwas in by different organizations including armed forces throughout the country, including Mumbai, on Monday.
In Mumbai a solemn wreath-laying ceremony was conducted at Shaheed Smarak at Colaba, in South Mumbai to commemorate the supreme sacrifice of the Indian Armed Forces (IAF) to achieve the victory in Kargil, fighting Pakistan in 1999.
During the ceremony, wreaths were laid by Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, FOC-in-C Western Naval Command, followed by Lieutenant General SK Prashar, AVSM, VSM, General Officer Commanding Maharashtra Gujarat and Goa Area, Rear Admiral Atul Anand VSM, Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area and Group Captain Jitendra Dinkar Masurkar, Vice Marshal officiating, Air Officer Commanding, Headquarters Maritime Air Operations and other senior officers from all three services. The ceremony was attended by a limited number of serving personnel from all three services following all COVID-19 safety precautions and guidelines. The buglers played “the last post” to commemorate the Vijay Diwas.
Raj Bhavan
(Left): Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari with Kargil heroes. (Right):The Governor releasing a book titled “Ashakya Te Shakya…Kargil Sangharsh” (Impossible to Possible, a Kargil conflict). (Photo credit: Raj Bhavan).
At a function organized at Raj Bhavan in South Mumbai, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari felicitated the warriors of the Kargil War and family members of the martyr jawans and officers on the occasion of the Kargil Vijay Diwas. Those facilitated included: Havildars of the Indian Army- Digendra Singh, Deep Chand, Pandurang Ambre, Datta Chavan, and Madhusudan Surve (21 Para Special force).
The Governor also released the book in Marathi titled ‘Ashakya Te Shakya…Kargil Sangharsh’ (Impossible to Possible, a Kargil conflict) authored by Veermata Anuradha Gore, mother of late Captain Vinayak Gore. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, BJP MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Chairperson of the Lodha Foundation Manju Lodha, Anuradha Gore, and Air Vice-Marshal S R Singh were present. The felicitation of Kargil heroes was organized by The Voice of Mumbai and the Lodha Foundation. The Governor also inaugurated an exhibition of photographs related to the Kargil war.
President of India
President of India Ramnath Kovind visited Baramulla in Kashmir as a chief guest. He was accompanied by the Lt Governor of the Union Territory of J & K Manoj Sinha and Lt General D P Pandey, General Officer Commanding, Chinar Corps. The president paid homage by laying a wreath at the Dagger memorial in Baramulla in a solemn ceremony. Defence Minister Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid homage to the fallen heroes at National War Memorial in New Delhi. In a message in the visitors’ book, Singh recalled the valour of the brave hearts of the Kargil conflict. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet said “We remember their sacrifices. We remember their valour”.
“Kargil Vijay Diwas” is commemorated on July 26, every year as a saga of gallantry and valour of a battle fought in the most inhospitable terrain in the World in the area of Kargil-Drass sector of Ladakh. On this day the Indian Armed Force braving the most difficult terrain, battling extreme weather conditions, fought valiantly on the steep slopes of icy peaks with grit and valor thus defeating the evil designs of the enemy and throwing the intruders out from Indian Soil. The Kargil War-Operation Vijay was fought at an altitude of approximately 16,000 feet. While the then Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared the operation successful on July 14, the operation was officially declared closed on July 26, 1999.
