26th July is a red-letter day in the history of independent India as the country marks the anniversary of India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1999 Kargil War. The special occasion regarded as the ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ is marked by people across the nation to salute the Indian armed forces.
On 26th July 1999, the Indian army declared victory in the Kargil conflict and marked an end to ‘Operation Vijay’ after reclaiming all mountain heights that were seized by intruders from Pakistan. The war which officially began on May 8, 1999 had lasted two-and-half months.
Despite not losing any territory after battles in multiple tough terrains in the Kargil region, the Indian Army lost more than 500 soldiers in the war. On Tuesday (July 26), India is observing the 23rd anniversary of the conflict coming to an end.
On the occasion, the Indian sporting fraternity joined the rest of the country to honour the defense personal and war heroes for their contribution to protect the country. The likes of Virender Sehwag, PT Usha, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Deepa Malik, Rajvardhan Rathore, and VVS Laxman took to social media to pay their respects.
“Tribute to all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Mother India. Salute to all our soldier brothers. You are therefore we are,” said Sehwag.”Where it is difficult for us to even breathe, they won a WAR! Salute to the bravest of the brave!” wrote Gambhir.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi also paid his respects to the Kargil War heroes on social media. “Kargil Vijay Diwas is a symbol of pride and glory of Maa Bharati. On this occasion, my salute to all the brave sons of the country who have accomplished their valor in the defense of the motherland. Jai Hind!,” wrote PM Modi on Twitter.
Meanwhile, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the National War Memorial to pay homage to the Indian Army.
