New Delhi, July 14: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the victory in the 1999 Kargil War reflects India’s unwavering resolve to respond with full strength to any threat against the nation’s land, identity and honour.
Singh made the remarks while flagging off the ‘Shaurya Vijay Yatra’, a motorcycle expedition from the National War Memorial in Delhi to the Kargil War Memorial at Dras, Ladakh, as part of nationwide celebrations marking 27 years of Operation Vijay.
The 13-day expedition, featuring 28 riders including serving and retired defence personnel and their family members, will cover around 1,900 km through challenging Himalayan terrain to pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice of Indian soldiers.
The riders will carry an urn containing sacred soil from the National War Memorial, which will be placed at the Kargil War Memorial in memory of fallen heroes.
Recalling the bravery of Indian troops, Singh said soldiers fought at nearly 20,000 feet altitude and extreme temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius, reclaiming peaks, hills and bunkers from enemy forces during the conflict.
He paid tribute to Kargil heroes, including Param Vir Chakra awardees Capt Vikram Batra, Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey, Sub Maj (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav and Sub Maj (Honorary Captain) Sanjay Kumar, for their contributions to India’s victory.
The expedition will pass through several war memorials, including Chandimandir, Rezang La and Leh, where participants will honour martyrs and interact with the families of fallen soldiers.
The ‘Shaurya Vijay Yatra’ will conclude at the Kargil War Memorial in Dras on July 26, coinciding with Kargil Vijay Diwas, which commemorates India’s victory in Operation Vijay against Pakistan in 1999.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen N.S. Raja Subramani, Army Chief Gen Dhiraj Seth and other senior officials attended the flag-off ceremony.
