PM Modi to visit Drass today to mark 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas | 10 updates

On the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kargil on Friday to honour the brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. Here are the top ten updates:

1. PM Modi is scheduled to arrive at the Kargil War Memorial around 9:20 am to pay tribute to these heroes.

2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also virtually inaugurate the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel Project. According to an official release, the project involves constructing a 4.1 km long twin-tube tunnel at approximately 15,800 feet altitude on the Nimu-Padum-Darcha Road. This tunnel aims to ensure all-weather connectivity to Leh.

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3. Upon completion, the Shinkun La Tunnel will be the highest in the world. It is expected to enhance the swift movement of armed forces and equipment, while also promoting economic and social development in Ladakh. As India commemorates the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas today, families of the soldiers reflect on the bravery and sacrifice of their loved ones who perished during the 1999 conflict with Pakistan at the icy heights of Kargil.

4. Madhubala, widow of Kargil hero Vinod Kumar, said, “On May 18, 1997, we got married and on June 14, 1999, he lost his life. I feel very good to be here and feel proud.”

5. Rajender Kumar, the elder brother of Kargil hero, soldier Bejender Kumar, said that he feels proud that his brother died for the country. “I feel so proud; he died for the country. We remember him every day,” he said.

6. Prashanti, wife of Kargil hero, Group Captain K Nachiketa Rao, said that, like all the other countrymen, she used to pray everyday for his repatriation from Pakistan.

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7. K Nachiketa Rao was a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force who was captured by Pakistani forces before he was handed over to the Indian authorities. “I feel very proud. The bravery and courage he had shown. We were not married at the time of the war. We married after two years of it. Like all the other countrymen, we used to pray every day for his repatriation (from Pakistan). We feel proud as there are very few people who get such a chance to show such bravery and then get to comeback and live to tell those tales,” Prashanti said.

8. Kargil Vijay Diwas, observed annually on July 26, commemorates the success of Operation Vijay in 1999. During this conflict, Indian forces successfully reclaimed strategic positions in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir that had been infiltrated by Pakistani soldiers and terrorists.

9. Retired Brigadier Kushal Thakur, the former commanding officer of the 18 Grenadiers, recalled that 34 soldiers from his unit sacrificed their lives to recapture the crucial peaks of Tololing and Tiger Hill in the Drass sector. He expressed that, despite the immense loss, it is heartening to see the families of these brave soldiers smiling once again.

Retired Brig Kushal Thakur said, “ As a commanding officer, I have a lot of bittersweet memories but it is important to sacrifice certain things for the country. 34 jawans sacrificed their lives. I still have the memories of those jawans and they will be with me till I die. Their families' also made a lot of sacrifices. Today when I see those families they have suffered huge losses. Youths belonging to the age group 22 or 23 lost their lives and their children who were a few months old could not see the faces of their fathers. After 25 years they could overcome that sadness and it feels good to see them smiling again.”

(With inputs from ANI)