Kargil Vijay Diwas – 1999 War
Kargil Vijay Diwas – 1999 War
Commemoration Day: 26 July
Operation: Operation Vijay
Martyrs: 533
Awards: 4 PVC, 9 MVC, 27 VrC
Kargil Vijay Diwas – 1999 War
Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on 26th July every year to commemorate the success of Operation Vijay, under which on this day, in 1999 India successfully took command of all the high outposts in the Kargil region which were being held by the Pakistani intruders.
In the winter months of 1998 and early 1999, militants in the guise of Mujahideen were covertly trained by the Pakistani armed forces and sent to the Indian side of the LOC. They captured some of the unguarded posts in the region and aimed to seize control over Kargil sector, which would enable them to cut off the supply route between Srinagar and Ladakh and take control of the Siachin region. The intrusion was detected in the month of May and patrols were sent to check and control them. By the time India realized Pakistan’s hand behind the infiltrations, they had captured many posts in the Drass, Kaksar and Mushkoh regions. Operation Vijay was then launched by the government to clear the area from infiltrators.
The air force too launched a mission called Safed Sagar to help in the mobilization of the army. The army set out to recapture the areas along the national highway 1D, which was the main supply route between Ladakh and Kashmir. The Indian army attacked the intruders who held well-fortified positions in the Tololing region. The 2nd Rajputana Rifles along with the 18 Grenadiers laid out a three-week assault that culminated in the recapture of the Tololing region, claiming 23 Indian lives in the process. The Indian army had captured a strategically important position and it took them a further six days to clear out the enemy troops from the nearby areas and take control of the Drass sector. The Indian troops moved forward by capturing the strategic peaks and advanced towards Tiger Hills. Tiger Hills was the highest peak in the Kargil region. Treacherous terrain and well-entrenched enemy in the region posed difficulties to the army. Many battles were fought between June and July to capture strategic locations that would facilitate the capture of Tiger hills. On July 4, 1999 the 18 Grenadiers captured the coveted hills after a fierce battle that lasted about 11 hours at the peak of Tiger Hills. This was a very important turn of events for the Indian troops and victory was in sight for them.
The then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif sought help from the United States of America, without much avail. He then agreed to withdraw Pakistani troops from the Indian side of the LOC, owing to International pressure. India carried its final assault in the last week of July and cleared the Drass subsector from infiltrators entirely by July 26. The battle had been won and operation Vijay was deemed successful.
The Kargil war victory was made possible by the heroic efforts of our troops, with various gallantry awards winners, among them, four Param Vir Chakra, nine Maha vir Chakra and several Vir Chakra winners, setting new benchmarks for bravery and service to the nation. The war had large number of causalities from both sides and India lost 527 of its brave soldiers in this campaign. We salute and remember the sacrifices of these valiant souls of India on this day.
There were three major phases to the Kargil War. First, Pakistan infiltrated forces into the Indian-controlled section of Kashmir and occupied strategic locations enabling it to bring NH1 within range of its artillery fire. The next stage consisted of India discovering the infiltration and mobilizing forces to respond to it. The final stage involved major battles by Indian and Pakistani forces resulting in India recapturing most of the territories held by Pakistani forces and the subsequent withdrawal of Pakistani forces back across the Line of Control after international pressure
Occupation by Pakistan
Date(1999) | Event |
---|---|
03-May | Pakistani intrusion in Kargil reported by local shepherds |
05-May | Indian Army patrol sent up; Five Indian soldiers captured and tortured to death. |
09-May | Heavy shelling by Pakistan Army damages ammunition dump in Kargil |
10-May | Infiltrations first noticed in Dras, Kaksar, and Mushkoh sectors |
Mid-May | Indian Army moves in more troops from Kashmir Valley to Kargil Sector |
26-May | IAF launches air strikes against infiltrators |
27-May | IAF loses two fighters – MiG-21 and MiG-27;. Flt Lt Nachiketa taken POW |
28-May | IAF MI-17 shot down by Pakistan; four air crew dead |
01-Jun | Pakistan steps up attacks; bombs NH 1A |
05-Jun | Indian Army releases documents recovered from three Pakistani soldiers indicating Pakistan’s involvement |
06-Jun | Indian Army launches major offensive in Kargil |
09-Jun | Indian Army re-captures two key positions in the Batalic sector |
11-Jun | India releases intercepts of conversation between Pakistani Army Chief Gen Pervez Musharraf, while on a visit to China and Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Aziz Khan in Rawalpindi, as proof of Pakistani Army’s involvement |
13-Jun | Indian Army secures Tololing in Dras |
15-Jun | U.S. President Bill Clinton, in a telephonic conversation, asks Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to pull out from Kargil |
29-Jun | Indian Army captures two vital posts: Point 5060 and Point 5100 near Tiger Hill |
02-Jul | Indian Army launches three-pronged attack in Kargil |
04-Jul | Indian Army recaptures Tiger Hill after an 11-hour battle |
05-Jul | Indian Army takes control of Dras. Sharif announces Pakistani army’s withdrawal from Kargil following his meeting with Clinton |
07-Jul | India recaptures Jubar Heights in Batalik |
11-Jul | Pakistan begins pullout; India captures key peaks in Batalik |
14-Jul | Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declares Operation Vijay a success. Government sets condition for talks with Pakistan |
26-Jul | Kargil conflict officially comes to an end. Indian Army announces complete eviction of Pakistani intruders. |
Param Vir Chakra | Maha Vir Chakra | Vir Chakra |
---|---|---|
Capt. Vikram Batra, 13 JAK Rifles (Posthumous) | Maj. Vivek Gupta, 2 Raj Rif(Posthumous) | Col Umesh Singh Bawa, |
Lt. Manoj Kumar Pandey, 1/11 GR(Posthumous) | Maj. Padmapani Acharya, 2 Raj Rif(Posthumous) | Col Lalit Rai, |
Grenedier Yogender Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers | Capt. N Kenguruse, 2 Raj Rif(Posthumous) | Col M.B. Ravindranath |
Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, 13 JAK Rifles | Naik Digendra Kumar, 2 Rajputana Rifles | Lt Col Yogesh Kumar Joshi, |
Maj. Rajesh Singh Adhikari, 18 Grenadiers(Posthumous) | Maj S. Vijay Bhaskar, | |
Lt. Balwan Singh, 18 Grenadiers | Maj Deepak Rampal, | |
Capt. Anuj Nayyar, 17 Jat(Posthumous) | Maj Vikas Vohra, | |
Lt. Keshing Clifford Nongrum, 12 JAK LI(Posthumous) | Maj Amrinder Singh Kasana, | |
Major Sonam Wangchuk, Ladakh Scouts | Maj Rajesh Sah, | |
Maj Mohit Saxena, | ||
Maj M. Saravanan (posthumous), | ||
Capt Shyamal Sinha. | ||
Capt Amol Kalia (posthumous), | ||
Capt Sachin Annarao Nimbalkar, | ||
Capt Sanjeev Singh. | ||
Capt Haneef Uddin (posthumous). | ||
Capt Sumeet Roy (posthumous), | ||
Capt Maridhvodan Veetil Sooraj, | ||
Capt Jintu Gogoi (posthumous), | ||
Capt R.Jery Prem Raj (posthumous), | ||
Lt Vijyant Thapar (posthumous), | ||
Sub Chhering Stobdan. | ||
Sub Bahadur Singh (posthumous), | ||
Sub Lobzang Chhotak (posthumous), | ||
Sub Randhir Singh (posthumous), | ||
Sub Bhawar Lal (posthumous), |
Source
- https://en.wikipedia.org
- http://www.thehindu.com
- http://www.indianarmy.nic.in
Disclaimer
Ashish Mishra
2020 at 7:28 pmWe are safe because of you.
How will we ever repay your supreme sacrifice ?!
We can’t.
We are ever indebted to you and your families for the supreme sacrifice that you have made.
You are the crown jewel of Mother India and a perpetual shinning light of courage and patriotism for centuries to come.
You are legends.
You are the manifestation of the finest qualities that we mortals can only aspire for.
You are Immortals.
Capt Sanjay Radke
2020 at 7:11 pmIndeed a sublime & praiseworthy mission✌ kudos to your relentless efforts
Salute the bravehearts
Manik Sharma
2021 at 3:36 pmIf the entire land is considered as paper, entire water is considered as the ink of pen, and all trees are considered to be the pen, even then it will not be possible to write down the immense Story of our martyr heroes.
Can remember the days when I was too young to understand what ‘Kargil war’ was but I could still feel the fear we had and it is ONLY because of you we were able to survive.
I can’t repay even a bit of what all you have done (are doing) for our country.
Jai Hind Bolte Bolte Meri Jaan Nikal Jaaye, Bas Yahi ek Armaan h.
SYED YASSER AHMED
2021 at 6:23 pmA big salute to all the brave heroes of our country, because of you guys who are safeguarding our country with the intention that the normal citizens of the country can sleep peacefully. Thank you very much for your support and also the effort that you put into safeguarding our nation.
Thank you very much.
Jai Hind.
Jai Jawan Jai Kisan.
Namaami Goswami class 1
2021 at 1:03 pmSalute to all army for caring us
Sarthak Agarwal
2021 at 4:38 pmWar is the most destructive of all human activities out there. I still remember being a kid and not being able to understand what it actually meant. For me back then, it was all the gun-shots and the fight that used to intrigue me. Growing up, I came to realize what a war actually costs, how precious the life is and how devastative its scars are left on the families whose heroes participate in these wars.
It’s YOU, and only YOU who stood gallantly on the borders protecting us from all the perils out there. If I try thanking the legends and the heroes out there by whose grace we are sitting in our homes, it would take an eternity and even then it would fall short. I pay my respects to all the mighty brave-hearts of out nation and wish that they could live peacefully in the afterlife.
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!
Vishwa Trivedi
2021 at 5:46 pmThe story of the Kargil Wars, the supreme sacrifices of our soldiers and their families, is a reminder to the people of India, that there are some men, who are willing to give it their all, for the motherland. Rising way above the divides of caste and creed, these brave men have fought hand in hand, with a single aim to achieve freedom. Their legacy is a great source of inspiration for the youth of the country. Many a salutes to these bravehearts. Jai Hind!
Shreshta Kulkarni
2021 at 10:31 pmI tribute all the soldiers of my country. Especially Vikram Batra and his family, I am proud to be an Indian. I will always support all the soldiers of my country in my future.
THANK YOU SOLDIERS FOR PROTECTING US YOU ARE THE REAL HEROES
Parag Ranjan Dey
2021 at 9:50 amJai Hind
Lingaraj k h
2021 at 9:56 amWords are Not Enough to Express my Gratitude to the Real HEROES
We will always be grateful to you for your supreme sacrifice. Jai jawan…