Youth-led Padyatra in Drass to honour 1999 War Heroes
Drass, Jul 25: Over 1,000 youth, veterans, armed forces personnel, families of martyrs, and civil society members will join Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, and Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, in a 1.5-kilometer Kargil Vijay Diwas Padyatra on July 26, 2025, to commemorate the 26th anniversary of India’s victory in the 1999 Kargil War. Organized by MY Bharat under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the tribute walk in Drass, Kargil, will begin at 7:00 a.m. from Himabass Public High School and conclude at Government Higher Secondary School, Bhimbet.
Following the padyatra, Dr. Mandaviya and Seth, accompanied by 100 youth volunteers, will visit the Kargil War Memorial to lay wreaths and pay homage to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the 1999 conflict. The event will also honor 26 women bikers from the Shakti Udgosh Foundation, who will complete a long-distance motorbike rally as a tribute to the martyrs. A plantation drive under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign will align patriotic remembrance with environmental consciousness, supporting sustainable development goals for a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
In the lead-up to the padyatra, MY Bharat has engaged local communities and youth through essay writing, painting, elocution competitions, and Yuva Samvads to foster civic awareness and celebrate stories of valor. These efforts aim to deepen the emotional connection between the Amrit Peedhi—India’s youth—and the armed forces, promoting ideals of service, sacrifice, and patriotism. The padyatra forms part of the broader Viksit Bharat Padyatras initiative, which seeks to instill national pride and unity through participatory programs across the country. Inspired by the Prime Minister’s vision of Jan Bhagidari in Rashtranirman, the event unites stakeholders in a shared act of remembrance, reinforcing the role of citizens in nation-building.
