Amritsar: Series of events mark 25th anniversary of Kargil War

Amritsar, July 26

Commemorating the 25 years of the Kargil War and observing Kargil Diwas, a bike rally led by Col Pravin Dhiman, Commanding Officer, 19 Punjab Battalion NCC, Ludhiana, on Friday was welcomed at the Punjab State War Memorial and Museum, India Gate. Fortyfour riders, men and women, all members of the NCC Punjab Battalion, later also participated in a commemorative event held at the memorial, paying tributes to the supreme sacrifice of soldiers in the Kargil War.

Colonel Pravin, while addressing the event, said the rally started from Rakh Bagh War Memorial, Ludhiana, which will culminate at the Attari-Wagah Border. “The idea was to mark the 25th year of the Kargil War by creating awareness among young and old about the supreme sacrifices of our armed forces and also to inculcate a sense of pride and patriotism among the young generation. We also interacted with visitors at the memorial, which was quite engaging for both,” he said.

In the bike rally, Rajni Jha and Ashley Sharma, NCC cadets from Ludhiana, were also part of the delegation today. Sharing their experience of travelling from one city to other for a cause, Rajni said, “It was a first experience for us to travel and be a part of such an important event. We would want more girls to come forward and be a part of the armed forces to contribute towards the country’s safety and nation building,” she said. Ashley, who joined the NCC as she aspires to join the armed forces, said the Kargil heroes should be celebrated as inspiration for young Indians.

Marking the 25th anniversary of the Kargil War, Allen Career Institute also organised a Shaurya Vandan programme as part of the 25th year of Kargil Vijay, where they distributed a cheque for Rs 11,000 each to the families of the martyrs.

Allen’s director Dr Naveen Maheshwari paid homage to the martyrs and honoured their families. He said Allen Career Institute is always ahead in fulfilling its social responsibilities. “On the occasion of completion of 25 years of Kargil Vijay, Shaurya Vandan programme has been started. Under this, programmes will be organised all over the country. We believe in imparting values along with education. Students can learn a lot from the life of a soldier. Just as a soldier gives his life for the country, similarly a student should have a positive attitude to bring the country forward,” he said.