PM Narendra Modi, while addressing the 25th anniversary of victory in the Kargil War, has said that this victory is neither of any government nor of any political party, but of the 1.4 billion people of India as a whole. He offered homage to those brave soldiers who won the victory in 1999 at Kargil. He added that their bravery made the nation proud by defeating enemies at the heights of Kargil.
PM Modi accused the previous governments of ignoring the demand for building war memorials in memory of the brave heart soldiers. "Governments dodged the demands of war memorials for 70 years on one or another pretext. They even did not join in today's Kargil victory celebrations," he said while drawing a comparison between their attitude and the 'satya' of his government towards remembering the sacrifices of the soldiers.
PM Modi said that there is a change in the mindset about the defence forces—from the previous governments' perception of the forces merely for felicitation purposes to his government's vision of them as guarantors for peace, security, and integrity within the nation.
He also referred to the alleged defense procurement scandals of past regimes while claiming that his government was working to modernize the defense forces and make them self-reliant. "In the last decade, we transformed our defense capabilities. Today our defense forces not only possess cutting-edge weaponry but also export defense equipment," PM Modi asserted.
Apart from this, PM Modi mentioned the developmental works going on in Ladakh, including the opening of Shinkun La tunnel, which will provide perpetual connectivity with Himachal Pradesh. He focused particularly on the massive rise in budget allotments for Ladakh and projects such as the Zojila Tunnel aimed at strengthening infrastructure and connectivity.
During his visit to Kargil, PM Modi laid a wreath at the War Memorial in the land of memorials, dedicated to the 545 martyrs whose sacrifices lighted up the path that led India to victory on the difficult land of Ladakh in 1999. He visited the war memorial museum in Drass as part of this homage for the fallen heroes.
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