New Delhi: Kargil Vijay Diwas, also known as the Kargil Victory Day, is celebrated on July 26 every year to mark the historic day when India conquered Pakistan in the Kargil War that occurred in 1999.
The Indian Army was able to recapture all the Indian posts on the northern Kargil district mountain tops in Ladakh on this day.
The Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed across the country to commemorate the Indian heroes who sacrificed their lives for the nation.
After the Indo-Pak War of 1971, numerous armed engagements took place. Nuclear tests were carried out by both nations in 1998. The two nations signed the Lahore Declaration in 1999 and promised a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir problem to defuse the situation. The Pakistani infiltration of Indian territory across the Line of Control was named ‘Operation Badr,’ and it was aimed to cut off links between Kashmir and Ladakh. The war also forced India to settle the Kashmir dispute.
The war took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district. General Pervez Musharraf, the head of Pakistan’s army at the time, was believed to have been behind the war. Pakistan captured various strategic points in Indian-controlled areas by placing themselves in crucial locations.
India responded by capturing strategic transportation routes in the second phase of the war and then concluded the war in the final phase with the help of the Indian Air Force.
In the final phase, the Indian Army, with help from the Indian Air Force, concluded the war in the last week of July.
The Pakistan Army’s involvement in the infiltrations was proven by the release of intercepts of communications between senior Pakistani military officials.
Nawaz Sharif had even travelled to Washington requesting assistance from the US. Bill Clinton, then president of the United States, refused to do so until Pakistani forces left the Line of Control.
On July 26, 1999, the Army declared the mission a success. But the cost of the victory was high. The outcome of the Kargil war was disastrous. A lot of mothers and fathers lost their sons, and India lost a lot of brave soldiers.
The official death toll on the Indian side was 527, whereas there were between 357 and 453 fatalities on the Pakistani side.
Kargil Vijay Divas honours the Kargil War’s heroes. This day is commemorated all over India. In New Delhi, the prime minister of India pays homage to the soldiers at Amar Jawan Jyoti near the India Gate every year.
This year marks the 23rd anniversary of Kargil Vijay Divas. The Indian Army flagged off the Kargil Vijay Divas motorbike expedition from Delhi.
A special event is planned for the flag-off ceremony at the war memorial. Families of martyrs have been invited to the memorial service. Various cultural performances are planned at Drass. Choreographed dance performances, patriotic songs, and various other events have been organised.
