War heroes celebrate 25 years of Kargil victory

Kargil War heroes and members of Bofors Gun Regiment today celebrated 25 years of victory of the Kargil War in Palampur.

Ex-servicemen from all over the state who were part of Kargil War were present. Speaking on the occasion, several war veterans said Bofors guns made the country victorious in the war that Pakistan foisted on the Indian armed forces 25 years ago. The Kargil War of 1999 remains etched in memory as a time of intense strife and sacrifice for India. It unfolded amid the rugged peaks and challenging terrain of the Kargil sector, where Pakistani forces stealthily infiltrated Indian positions.

They said the incursion, daunting in its audacity and scale, required a swift and robust response from the Indian military to evict the intruders and regain control of the strategic heights overlooking key supply routes.

“It was against this backdrop in the hilly landscape of Kargil, a controversial weapon system, the Bofors howitzer, emerged as the unsung hero that turned the tide in India’s favour. The soldiers regretted that for most Indians Bofors is a reminder of corruption in defence deals. It played its role in bringing down the government which purchased the howitzer for the Indian Army in 1989. However, this gun was the real hero of the Kargil War in 1999. The Bofors guns inflicted huge casualties on Pakistan’s forces in Kargil War. It was the first time that Bofors guns were used as a direct-fire role weapon,” they added.