Kargil martyrs immortal heroes: CM

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 26

Chief Minister Harish Rawat today paid homage to martyrs, who laid down their lives during the Kargil war with Pakistan in 1999. The nation would always remember the sacrifices of brave soldiers, he said at a function to commemorate Kargil Vijay Diwas at Gandhi Park here.

Rawat said the state government was making all possible efforts to ease the lives of the martyrs’ family members. “The victory in Kargil war is a symbol of courage and bravery. A new dimension has been set in the history of warfare. Indian Army was acclaimed globally after the Kargil victory as it was fought under adverse weather conditions,” he said.

He said there were sagas of several Uttarakhand soldiers in the Indian history. Brave soldiers from the state were always ready to sacrifice their lives for the country, he said.

Meanwhile, the Golden Key Division organised a function at Kala ground to mark the occasion. General Officer Commanding, Golden Key Division, Major General SC Mohanty laid the wreath on behalf of all ranks of the Division. A two-minute silence was observed in the memory of martyrs.

Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi paid floral tributes to martyrs at Gandhi Park and martyr Naik Rajesh Thapa at Chandmari. He said brave sons of Uttarakhand had proved their mettle in pre and post-Independence wars. “It is a matter of proud for everyone that a large number of youths from the state serve in defence forces,” he said.

War widows honoured

Kargil Vijay Diwas was celebrated in Nainital, Almora and Pithoragarh districts. Rich tributes were paid to martyrs at their memorials.

Army units organised programmes in the memory of the Kargil war heroes and honoured war widows at the Pithoragarh and Nainital cantonments.

At Ranikhet, Lt Gen (retd) Mohan Bhandari, while remembering the bravery of soldiers at Kargil 17 years ago, said the nation, which has such brave soldiers and a committed Army, could never be threatened by enemies. General Bhandari, who served during the Kargil war, said, “The war, which began on May 4 after some shepherds saw suspicious persons at the border, ended on July 25 after Indian troops recaptured Tiger Hill”.

At Nainital, the tribute paying ceremony was held at the Tallital Memorial of Kargil martyr, Major Rajesh Adhikari. Besides relatives of the martyr, army officers and civilians were present in large numbers. “Rajesh, who saved his companions from drowning in Indira Gandhi canal in Punjab in 1995 and won bravery award for the act from the UP government, died fighting for the Tololing peak during the Kargil war. Although the state government had named some institutions and roads after him, some of the assurances are yet to be fulfilled,” said martyr’s brother Shyam Sundar Singh Adhikari.

In Kharau village near Almora, villagers remembered Mohan Singh Bisht, who laid down his life in the Kargil war. “The martyr’s memory was made immortal by his mother, late Debuli Devi, who had constructed a temple and the martyr’s statue in the village where we pay tributes to the Kargil martyrs every year,” Ramesh Singh, a villager.