India celebrates Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations in Dras on July 26.

• Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorates India’s historic victory in the Kargil War in 1999. 

• Indian soldiers reclaimed the snow-covered heights of Kargil through extraordinary courage and unwavering resolve. 

• On July 26, 1999 the Tricolour once again flew over the rugged mountains of Ladakh. 

• During the event, Rajnath Singh laid a wreath at the memorial and observed silence in remembrance of the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice during Operation Vijay in 1999.

Key points on Kargil War:

• The Kargil conflict began in May 1999, soon after the Lahore Declaration.

• Pakistani forces infiltrated Indian territory and occupied winter vacated posts on commanding ridges.  

• On May 3, 1999, local residents first reported suspicious movement in the Kargil sector. 

• Reconnaissance patrols were immediately dispatched to verify the reports. Extensive patrolling and aerial surveillance soon revealed the scale of the occupation. 

• The intrusion was part of Pakistan’s ‘Operation Badr’. 

• Their aim was to cut the link between Kashmir and Ladakh. They also sought to isolate Indian Army troops on the Siachen Glacier. The larger objective was to force India into negotiations on the Kashmir dispute.

• India responded with ‘Operation Vijay’.

• The government directed that the Line of Control would not be crossed. The mission was clear. Every occupied post had to be reclaimed. 

• The mission reflected meticulous planning, unwavering determination, and the indomitable spirit of Indian soldiers. 

• The Indian Air Force joined the campaign through ‘Operation Safed Sagar’ on May 26, 1999. 

• The Indian Navy also deployed in full strength, demonstrating India's resolve across every domain. 

• Together, the three Services executed a coordinated campaign.

• The Battle of Tololing marked one of the first major breakthroughs of the campaign. Indian troops launched their assault in the last week of May 1999. Point 4590 and Tololing was fully recaptured on June 13, opening the way for further advances.

• The Battle of Tiger Hill became one of the defining moments of the war. Tiger Hill was among the highest peaks in the Dras sector and one of the Indian Army’s most important objectives. After a daring assault, the peak was recaptured on July 4, 1999, significantly shifting the momentum in India’s favour.

• Fierce fighting also took place at Point 4875, Batalik, Mushkoh Valley, and Kaksar. 

• Indian soldiers fought peak by peak to reclaim every occupied position. 

• After nearly three months of relentless operations, every occupied Indian post was recaptured. 

• On July 14, 1999, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee addressed the nation and declared Operation Vijay a success. 

Kargil War Memorial in Dras

• Kargil War Memorial in Dras is an iconic monument to the bravehearts of Operation Vijay.

• It was constructed at ‘Ground Zero’ in 2004.

• The memorial is an obelisk carrying an inverted bayonet on top and ‘OP VIJAY’ on its column, with an eternal flame placed near its base.

• A towering flagpole carrying the Indian tricolour stands proudly behind the obelisk while the jagged Tololing Hill, whose peak was also reclaimed by the armed forces in the 1999 war, forms a majestic natural backdrop for the memorial.

• The obelisk and four ornamental columns and low-height parapets around it, are made of rose-hued sandstone. Two walls carry inscription on Operation Vijay and the memorial.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)