The Army will pay homage to the brave officers and soldiers who laid down their lives during the 1999 Kargil War, a two-month-long battle between India and Pakistan. Marking the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas, three Union ministers, including the minister of state for defence, are scheduled to visit the Kargil War Memorial here on Friday and lay a floral wreath as a tribute to the valiant soldiers.
A series of events has been planned by the Indian Army for 25 and 26 July. After flag hoisting and interaction with the next of kin of the martyrs, there will be cultural performances, including Yak dance. Artists from various parts of the country will perform a national integration dance. There will be a rendition of patriotic songs before the felicitation of the next of kin of the martyrs.
Then there will be Beating Retreat and a rendition of the national anthem to mark the closure of the formal celebrations.
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Over the past 20 years, a lot of tourists have visited the Kargil War Memorial. The memorial has grown into one of the best-maintained memorials, starting as a modest compound that held the first anniversary for the martyrs in 2000.
The busts of eight national heroes -- Major Rajesh Adhikari, Major P Acharya, Major Vivek Gupta, Captain Vikram Batra, Captain Anuj Nayyar, Captain Keishing Clifford Nongrum, Captain Neikezhoue Kenguruse, and Lieutenant Manoj Pandey -- line up the sides of 'Vijaypath', which leads to the memorial where the national tricolour flies high.
Captain Batra and Lieutenant Pandey were awarded Param Vir Chakra (PVC), while the other six martyrs were awarded Mahavir Chakra (MVC). The other "heroes" of the 1999 war -- the Bofors guns and QF 25-Pounder guns -- are also prominently displayed at the memorial, in recognition of the stellar role they played in targeting the enemy positions.
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