Mysuru: Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on July 26 every year in the honour of Kargil War heroes who got India victory in the 1999 Kargil War with Pakistan. Kargil Vijay Diwas was named after the success of Operation Vijay.

The Kargil War in the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir took place after Pakistani troops crossed the Line of Control (LoC)  and occupied Indian posts on the heights. It took about three months for the Indian forces to recapture the posts.

Paying a tribute to the Kargil War heroes, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abhiram G. Sankar said that the onus of protecting and building the nation lies on everybody and it is the responsibility of all to fight, sacrifice and work for the betterment of the country.

He was speaking at “Kargil Vijayotsava” organised by Military Veterans Welfare Association and NCC Mysore Headquarters at Kalamandira last evening.  

Recalling the contribution of soldiers serving at our borders, the DC said that though the soldiers have enough resources to lead a comfortable life, they were serving in hostile conditions for the cause of the nation. “If this is not selfless sacrifice, then what is it,” the DC asked.

Advising youngsters to rise to the occasion whenever the unity and integrity of the country is questioned, the DC regretted that of late, many youths are only active on social media platforms. “We don’t cross-check the messages on social media and blindly forward them into various groups.

This trend is misused by anti-nationals and rumour mongers to incite violence and spread hatred. We, as educated youth, must take utmost care while commenting or passing on messages on social media,” he said.

“Fighting at daunting altitudes and seemingly unassailable peaks, what our Indian troops achieved at Kargil was nothing short of a miracle. We must inculcate the spirit of nationalism and sacrifice,” the DC said.

Retired Vice Chancellor of University of Mysore Prof. S.N. Hegde called upon the NCC cadets to take up issues like cleanliness and pollution and asked them to work pro-actively in their respective localities.

“Though India has a strong youth force, there are many problems that are plaguing it. Youth can play a decisive role in nation building,” he opined.’

Earlier, Brigadier (Retd.) Vinod Adappa who is the President of Military Veterans Welfare Association gave a power-point presentation about India’s victory at Kargil.

Over 500 Indian Armed Forces personnel were martyred during the three-month-long war. The shelling from Pakistan began on May 9, 1999 and by the end of May, the Indian Air Force launched massive air strikes to regain control of Kargil mountain ranges, he said.

Retired Major General C.K. Karumbaya, Military Veterans Welfare Association office-bearers P. Lakshman, M.C. Balasubramanya, M.S. Purushotham and others were present.

Students of Vijaya Vittala Educational Institutions rendered the welcome song, NCC students of Good Shepherd Convent danced to a patriotic song and girl students of JSS College presented a dance feature on Kargil victory.