With only a month to go for Kargil Vijay Diwas, the Indian Army has initiated a set of commemorative activities to honor the valour, sacrifice, and unshakeable resolve of its personnel in the 1999 Kargil war.
On Thursday, the Army went back to the heroic narrative of Operation Vijay, the operation that resulted in India taking over crucial peaks in the hilly geography of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. This milestone battle is still a corner-stone in India's military history.
Commemorating the 30-day countdown, the Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information shared on X (previously Twitter):
"Kargil Vijay Diwas 2025 30 Days to Go…. 30 Days to Remember. A salute to the unparalleled courage of our #Bravehearts. Their valour reverberates through the mountains of Kargil, imprinted in the conscience of India forever."
The Army has been holding various events across the nation as part of 26th anniversary celebrations to pay tribute to the soldiers who safeguarded the country's borders in the summer of 1999.
Seen every year on 26th July, Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrates India's triumph in the Kargil War, in which the military effectively repelled Pakistani intruders and took back key posts along the Line of Control.
This year's remembrance follows closely on the heels of Operation Sindoor, a major counter-terror operation including airstrikes on several terror camps and airbases of terror outfits in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The successful operation lends strength to the 2025 observance of Kargil Vijay Diwas.
One of the key features of this year's tribute is a compassionate outreach program targeted at the Next of Kin (NoK) of the 545 personnel who died in the Kargil War. Under this campaign, Army delegates are going to meet families in 25 Indian states, two Union Territories, and Nepal to invite them to share memories of their loved ones.
Every visit consists of the delivery of a personal appreciation letter by the Indian Army, a souvenir, and details of the benefits provided by the central and state governments. The visits are also an occasion to hear out the concerns of the families and provide any help that they require.
In a touching gesture last June, Indian Army officers went to the Noida residence of Capt Vijayant Thapar, one of the war's youngest heroes. His parents, Col (Retd) V.N. Thapar and his spouse, were presented with a special keepsake by the Army as a gesture of long-term appreciation.
The Army also plans to collect war memorabilia from the families of martyred soldiers. The beloved items will be kept at the Kargil War Memorial in Dras so that the memory of their sacrifices is not forgotten by future generations.
The tribute lasting a month will reach its peak on July 26 with a somber wreath-laying ceremony at the Dras memorial, where the country gathers every year to honor the Kargil martyrs.
The 1999 war started with Indian forces detecting intrusions by Pakistani soldiers and insurgents along the high-altitude ridges of the Kargil district. The war lasted for two months, with India conducting Operation Vijay to regain strategic positions, Tiger Hill among them. The operation ended with a decisive triumph on July 26, reasserting India's territorial integrity and military determination.
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