Srinagar| July, 26 : At ground zero in Drass, Ladakh, the main function of the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas witnessed the two Union Ministers Sanjay Seth and Mansukh Mandaviya and Chief of Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi leading the wreath-laying ceremony at the Kargil War Memorial, commemorating India’s victory in the 1999 conflict.
Drass, often referred to as the coldest inhabited place, was at the heart of the 1999 Kargil War.
The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta; Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu; and senior civil and security officials paid tribute to the fallen soldiers on the 26th anniversary of the Kargil War. Retired senior officers who were part of the Kargil War also paid floral tributes at the memorial.
The two Union Ministers Mandaviya and Seth also led a Padyatra, which saw participation from over 1,000 youth volunteers, war veterans, and armed forces personnel, marking the occasion with a show of unity and remembrance.
Addressing the gathering after the wreath-laying ceremony, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, “Whether it’s the Kargil War, the Surgical Strike, or Operation Sindoor, we have made it clear that anyone who dares to raise their eyes toward us will meet this fate.”
Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu, who laid a wreath at the memorial, took to X to share his tribute, “In the shadow of the mighty mountains of Drass, I laid a wreath at the Kargil War Memorial. A silent salute to the extraordinary sons of Bharat who gave everything they had, so that we might live in peace,” Khandu said.
“In May 1999, our heights were seized in a betrayal that cut deep. But what followed was not just a military operation. It was a testament to the spirit of India. Operation Vijay was a story of young men climbing into the jaws of death with grit in their hearts and the tricolour in their hands. On Kargil Vijay Diwas today, we don’t just remember their victory. We remember their courage. Their sacrifice. Their unwavering faith in this nation,” he added .
Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed every year on July 26 to commemorate India’s victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War. In 1999, Pakistani soldiers and militants had infiltrated and occupied several key peaks along the Line of Control (LoC) from Drass to the Batalik sector, overlooking the strategic Srinagar-Leh highway. The Indian Army along with the Indian Air Force later launched a massive operation, and in the 74 days of battles, the Indian Army managed to win back its territory. As per official figures, 527 were the Indian casualties at the end of the Kargil War. And since this victory, the Army has been observing July 26 as Vijay Diwas, and the commemorative event is held annually at Drass to honour the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
