On the 24th occasion of the Kargil Vijay Diwas held on July 26, 2023, the Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh, at the Kargil War Memorial in Dras said that India is always ready to cross the LoC (Line of Control) to uphold its honour and dignity.
“We can go to any extreme to maintain the honour and dignity of the country, and that includes crossing the LoC, we are ready to do that, Singh
In a tweet, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said: “Paid Tribute to India’s bravehearts at the Kargil War memorial in Dras. The Indian Armed Forces have fought valiantly, and many laid down their lives in the line of duty. The nation will remain indebted to their service and sacrifice.”
#WATCH | Ladakh: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meets with the family members of the soldiers who lost their lives in the 1999 Kargil War. He also handed them a memento & a shawl as a mark of respect. #KargilVijayDiwas2023 pic.twitter.com/g9Jv2RPpPn
— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2023
“We know that as long as you are protecting us on the borders, no one can even have the courage to raise their eyes towards India. Not only Kargil but also many times since independence till today, your bravery has made the country proud from time to time,” he tweeted.
At the Kargil War memorial, the minister laid a wreath to honour and pay tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their very lives in the Kargil War (1999). Singh also visited the tombstone of fallen soldiers and will interact with Indian Army Officers and jawans before returning to New Delhi.
In a tweet, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said: “Paid Tribute to India’s bravehearts at the Kargil War memorial in Dras. The Indian Armed Forces have fought valiantly, and many laid down their lives in the line of duty. The nation will remain indebted to their service and sacrifice.”
“We know that as long as you are protecting us on the borders, no one can even have the courage to raise their eyes towards India. Not only Kargil but also many times since independence till today, your bravery has made the country proud from time to time,” he tweeted.
According to Rajnath Singh, the Kargil War was imposed on India. He said, “We were backstabbed by Pakistan, and the war was imposed on India. I salute the brave sons who put the country first and sacrificed their lives.”
Paying tribute to the gallant soldiers, who sacrificed their lives in the 1999 Kargil War, Singh said, “I salute those brave sons who have sacrificed everything to protect the motherland. I salute those brave sons who put the nation first and did not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for it.”
PM Narendra Modi’s comments
The Indian Prime minister also paid tribute to the soldiers and tweeted in Hindi, “Kargil Vijay Diwas brings to the fore the heroic saga of those wonderful bravehearts of India, who will always remain an inspiration to the countrymen. On this special day, I bow down and salute them from the bottom of my heart. Long Live India!”
Importance of Kargil Vijay Diwas
The Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorates India’s victory over Pakistan during the Kargil War 1999, which saw the Indian Army driving out Pakistani troops from Ladakh despite hostile weather and terrain. On July 26, 1999, the Indian Army successfully concluded Operation Vijay after a three-month-long battle at high-altitude locations such as Tololing and Tiger Hill in Kargil.
The Role and Support of Civilians
The Defence Minister also cited the example of the Russia-Ukraine War and said the war has been going on for over a year because civilians have stepped up and are participating in the war. He also called upon the civilians to be ready to support Indian soldiers in such a warlike situation.
Continuing further, the minister said, “Whenever there was a war situation, there our public has always supported the defence forces, but that support has been indirect. I urge the public to be ready to support the soldiers directly on the battlefield if the need arises.”
Other prominent figures and dignitaries
Apart from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and PM Narendra Modi, the Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Navy Chief Admiral Hari Kumar and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan also offered their tributes to the fallen soldiers at the Dras Memorial as the military bands played sombre tunes to mark the day. The event was attended by the War Heroes along with Veer Naris and Veer Matas and the relatives of the fallen soldiers.
