KARGIL WAR

OPERATION VIJAY-10 YEARS AFTER

It was during the rainy season of 1999, when I was in my 3^rd standard, that news came “terrorists/infiltrators” had entered Kargil. At that age I neither knew nor cared what infiltrators were or what the LOC was and so on, but the two things which I most prominently remember are, firstly, the heavy artillery firing which was being shown on the news and secondly, the “cool” line of Pepsi “YEH DIL MAINGE MORE”, being said by Capt. Vikram Batra. Then, the line was just something catchy and nice to say, but today when I remember these moments I feel the bravery and valour of the Indian armed forces.

Operation Vijay will always, technically, remain an anti-infiltration operation, but for us Indians it was a moment of great sorrow and pride. The brave sons of our motherland fought like fearless tigers in the hostile and inhospitable terrain of Kargil, just to protect the pride of this great country.

There are issues that the Government does not treat the armed forces well, but the greatest sorrow for me is that the people of this country DO NOT value these brave men to protect the sovereignty of their country with their lives. We Indians do not value our armed forces and unless and until, this respect and love for the men in olive green, sky blue and white does not come amongst us, we cannot expect the Legislature and the bureaucracy to value the armed forces because the people who form both these are not aliens but are very much part of the Indian civil society.

It may be Capt. Sourav Kaila, whose body was sent by the infiltrators/Pakistani army after mutilating beyond recognition, the mountaineer regiment of the Gorkhas, Capt. Vikram Batra or even Capt. Sher Shah, a Pakistani officer, who was conferred the highest gallantry award of Pakistan on recommendation from the Indian officers, these were men who fought with valour and I salute their bravery, grit and patriotrism.

This is my, microscopically small tribute to the martyrs of Operation Vijay on its 10^th anniversary. Hats off to the men of the Indian armed forces who fought with the spirit “VIJAY YA VEERGATI” on the heights of Kargil.

JAI HIND