India set to celebrate silver jubilee of Kargil War victory

India is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Kargil war on July 26. The Indian Army is celebrating the success, valour and sacrifice of its soldiers who laid down their lives in the 1999 Kargil war.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the celebrations on July 26 at Dras Kargil War Memorial as the Army celebrates the Silver Jubilee of the Kargil War Victory. The celebrations also include honouring the sacrifice of the 527 soldiers who laid down their lives during the Kargil war in 1999.

The Indian Army has also invited the war veterans to Dras to be a part of the celebrations.

The Pakistani Army covertly captured the major hills in Kargil during the winter months of 1998 and 1999 and it later resulted in the Kargil war.

All the hills were recaptured by the brave soldiers of the Indian Army despite extreme steep mountains, difficult terrain, and inclement weather.

In the winters of 1998-1999, Pakistan Army secretly sent soldiers across the Line of Control in Dras sector disguised as militants. These soldiers from the Pakistan Army took fortified positions that overlooked NH 1A with an aim to cut down access to the road that connects Kashmir to Leh. Over 200,000Indian armed forces were sent to these areas to respond to the Pakistan Army.

The Indian Army also recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition while fighting the Pakistan Army in the Dras and Batalik areas.

The whole cache now remains at the Dras War memorial on display for the people visiting. From flags to guns to high-range mortars, Indian Army has kept all of it for generations to see the valour of the Indian armed forces who fought the battle and won.

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Indian Army has conducted various events in the run-up to Kargil Vijay Diwas for the past three months. These activities are directed towards youth development, women empowerment, community development, giving impetus to sports and educational facilities and increasing tourism in the region.

This collaborative initiative with Indian Army serves as a remembrance of the courage of resilient people of Ladakh and the Bravehearts of Operation Vijay in 1999.

Dras Summer Carnival 2024 was organised in June 2024. The carnival witnessed Horse Polo Championships, skillful display of Tent Pegging and Archery competitions along with Hot Air Ballooning, Para Motor Display, and traditional art forms performed by community members of the region.

A weapon and equipment display were also organised at Kargil. Various Motivational Tours were organised for schoolchildrenof the Aryan Valley and Ladakh to reminisce about the heroic actions of the gallant heroes of the war.

A multipurpose Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, PVC (P) stadium was inaugurated by GOC, Fire Fury Corps at Garkhone in District Kargil, Ladakh.

The stadium, built for community members of Aryan Valley, is dedicated to Bravehearts of Operation Vijay. Various Motorcycle Rallies were organised to reach out to veterans, Veer Naris, family members of Kargil Heroes, youth and community members. Some of the prominent motorcycle rallies were Dras Thunder Motorcycle Rally, which commenced from New Delhi, and traversed challenging terrains. The riders reached out to Kargil War Heroes, Veterans, Veer Naris and paid homage at War Memorials.

All Women Motorbike Rally across the rugged terrain of Ladakh was organised in honour of Kargil Heroes. 25 intrepid women riders traversed a total distance of approximately 2000 km and interacted with school and college students, community members of border areas and pay homage to martyrs at five war memorials on the route.