Dras, July 26 (IANS) Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth paid humble tributes to the brave and heroic martyrs on the 27th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, assuring that the Indian Army, in every way, is fully with the country in its progress and, in the coming time, will make the country’s flag fly even higher.
Speaking to reporters after the Kargil Vijay Diwas event in Dras, Ladakh, Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth said, “On the 27th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, here, by my own presence, I feel a kind of new energy, a new pride, within myself. On this occasion, I humbly pay tribute to our brave and heroic martyrs, and along with that, I also bow with affection and respect to their families. The Honourable Defence Minister of our country is present among us, and his presence here will remain a very important source of inspiration for the Indian Army in the times to come.”
He further shared one poem written by one of the soldiers from his unit, and said, “Today, when I remember these heroes here, I am reminded of a composition written by the soldiers of my own unit, which I want to present before you: (Marna sabhi ko hai, tum bhale mare… karke namak halal, ladte hue gire, bhuloge aap nahi jo chip gayi shakal, safed jamin par naam hua tumhara atal’. This composition is so true for all these heroes that I just want to say this much: the warriors of the Indian Army are so far ahead in the world compared to the soldiers of any army that they cannot even be compared.”
Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth further reassured the country that the Indian Army is completely with the country in its progress.
“On this occasion, I want to reassure the country from my side that the Indian Army, in every way, in the progress of the country, is completely with the country, and in the coming time, we will make the pride of the country fly even higher,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid tribute to the brave soldiers of the 1999 Kargil War, commemorating Kargil Vijay Diwas, reflecting how the enemy underestimated the bravery and determination of the Indian Army.
Addressing the gathering at Kargil War Memorial in Drass, Singh said, “The Tricolour that flutters so proudly atop the Kargil War Memorial comes at a tremendous cost to its honour, pride, and glory. Exactly 27 years ago from today, in this very July of 1999, a cowardly and insidious attack was launched on our motherland.”
“Pakistan, through its infiltrating army intruders, resorted to deceit and trickery to seize our peaks. These were the peaks that lay vacant in winter, and the enemy took advantage of that very interregnum. But the enemy failed to gauge the heights of our Army’s valour and resolve. Our soldiers not only scaled the mountain heights but also transcended every definition of human limits,” he added.
The country is observing the 27th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, which commemorates India’s victory in the 1999 Kargil War. The day honours the 527 soldiers who lost their lives during Operation Vijay and recognises the courage and determination of thousands of personnel who fought under some of the harshest battlefield conditions in the world.
The Kargil conflict, fought between May and July 1999, remains the only conventional war between two nuclear-armed neighbours. The battles took place at altitudes of over 5,000 metres across the mountainous regions of Kargil, Dras, Batalik, Mushkoh and Kaksar in Ladakh.
Despite freezing temperatures, difficult terrain and heavily fortified enemy positions on strategic peaks, Indian forces successfully drove out Pakistani intruders without crossing the Line of Control (LoC), earning international recognition for their professionalism and military restraint.
Over the years, the victory has come to symbolise not only India’s military strength but also a defining moment that reshaped the country’s defence preparedness, strategic planning and national security framework.
–IANS
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