PM Modi to visit Drass today to commemorate 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas

LADAKH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kargil today on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas and pay homage to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. PM Modi will visit the Kargil War Memorial at around 9:20 am and pay tribute to the bravehearts.

The arrangements are in full accordance with security purposes at the Kargil War Memorial at Dras, ahead of the Prime Minister's visit.

The Prime Minister will carry out the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel Project virtually. An official release said that Shinkun La Tunnel Project consists of a 4.1 km long Twin-Tube tunnel which will be constructed at an altitude of around 15,800 feet on the Nimu - Padum - Darcha Road to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh.

Once completed, it will be the highest tunnel in the world. Shinkun La tunnel will not only ensure swift and efficient movement of the country's armed forces and equipment but also foster economic and social development in Ladakh. As the country celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas today, the families of the soldiers remember the bravery and dedication of their loved ones who laid their lives during the war between India and Pakistan at icy heights in 1999.

Madhubala, widow of Kargil hero Vinod Kumar, said, "On May 18, 1997, we got married and on June 14, 1999, he lost his life. I feel very good to be here and feel proud." Rajender Kumar, the elder brother of Kargil hero, soldier Bejender Kumar, said that he feels proud that his brother died for the country. "I feel so proud; he died for the country. We remember him every day," he said. Prashanti, wife of Kargil hero, Group Captain K Nachiketa Rao, said that, like all the other countrymen, she used to pray everyday for his repatriation from Pakistan. K Nachiketa Rao was a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force who was captured by Pakistani forces before he was handed over to the Indian authorities.

"I feel very proud. The bravery and courage he had shown. We were not married at the time of the war. We married after two years of it. Like all the other countrymen, we used to pray every day for his repatriation (from Pakistan). We feel proud as there are very few people who get such a chance to show such bravery and then get to comeback and live to tell those tales," Prashanti said.

Kargil Vijay Diwas, observed annually on July 26, commemorates the success of Operation Vijay in 1999. During this conflict, Indian forces successfully reclaimed strategic positions in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir that had been infiltrated by Pakistani soldiers and terrorists.