‘Gratitude to brave soldiers’: PM Modi pays tribute to Kargil heroes on 27th Vijay Diwas
NEW DELHI:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tribute to the soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces on the occasion of the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas and remembered their role in safeguarding the country’s sovereignty.“On Kargil Vijay Diwas, our nation expresses gratitude to the brave soldiers for their extraordinary courage and commitment towards securing India. Their valour in the face of the most formidable conditions will forever remain a source of national pride. Their unwavering patriotism and devotion to duty will continue to inspire generations,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.India is observing the 27th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, commemorating its victory in the 1999 Kargil War. The day marks the successful culmination of Operation Vijay and honours the 527 soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice while driving Pakistani intruders out of strategic heights in the Kargil sector.
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The Kargil conflict, fought between May and July 1999, remains the only conventional war between two nuclear-armed neighbours. The battles were fought across the rugged mountain terrain of Kargil, Dras, Batalik, Mushkoh and Kaksar in Ladakh at altitudes exceeding 5,000 metres. Despite freezing temperatures, low oxygen levels and heavily fortified enemy positions, Indian troops recaptured the occupied peaks without crossing the Line of Control, earning global recognition for their professionalism and military restraint.Over the years, Kargil Vijay Diwas has come to symbolise not only India’s military victory but also a defining moment that reshaped the country’s defence preparedness, strategic planning and national security framework.Union home minister Amit Shah also paid tribute to the soldiers, describing Kargil Vijay Diwas as a symbol of the Indian Army’s indomitable courage and extraordinary valour.“‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ stands as a symbol of the Indian Army’s indomitable courage and extraordinary valour. In 1999, despite facing adverse conditions and enemy positions situated at high altitudes amidst the treacherous, snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, our brave soldiers forced the enemy to their knees through ‘Operation Vijay’. On ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’, I pay tribute to all those brave sons who made the ultimate sacrifice to uphold the nation’s integrity,” Shah said.Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who attended the Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorations at the Kargil War Memorial in Dras on Saturday, said the intent of infiltrators had not changed since the 1999 conflict and asserted that the Indian Army remained fully prepared to counter any challenge.“We have to remember that even today challenges have not reduced; the intent of infiltrators hasn’t changed, and even today it adopts tools like a proxy war or infiltration,” Singh said in an apparent reference to Pakistan.“I am fully assured that our Army is fully prepared for any such challenges,” he added.The defence minister also highlighted the government’s focus on modernising the armed forces, saying sustained efforts were being made to equip the military with the latest technology and the best training. Referring to the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, he expressed confidence that the Indian armed forces would emerge among the finest in the world.Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also remembered the fallen soldiers, saying the nation would forever remain indebted to their courage, valour and supreme sacrifice.“A humble tribute to all the brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice while defending India’s borders, on Kargil Victory Day. The nation will forever remain indebted to your courage, valor, and supreme sacrifice,” Gandhi wrote on X.
