Mahadeep Singh Jamwal
On 26 July 2023, when we are going to pay our floral tributes to the soldiers sacrificing their life for the country, it is time to take pledge to inculcate the spirit of sacrifices for the sake of mother land like those 500 young buds, who splashed their blood across Kargil hills and have never seen the bright days of their life for which they and their families were optimistic. The Kargil war began on May 8, 1999, after Pakistani army and terrorists were spotted on Kargil. The war continued until July 14 and it is believed that Pakistan was planning for this attack since 1998. Both the army stopped their action on July 14 and on July 26 agreement was signed between them. Thus bringing the official ending of War on 26 July 1999 and it is this day, every year we commemorate. The day 26 July is observed in honor of Kargil’s War heroes as ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’, the day named after the success of ‘Operation Vijay’ launched by the Indian Army to clear the Kargil sector of infiltrators from across the border.
The day is celebrated in the Kargil – Drass sector and the national capital New Delhi, where the Prime Minister of India, pays homage to the soldiers at ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ at India Gate every year. On the day functions are organized all over the country to commemorate the contribution of the armed forces and to pay homage to the brave soldiers. Built by the Indian Army, the Kargil War memorial wall, in the foothills of the ‘Tololing Hill’ also known as ‘Vijaypath’ in Dras, in memory of those who lost their lives in the war? The memorial alsost has a museum with documents, recordings and pictures of the Indian soldiers at Kargil. The memorial has a huge epitaph with names of all the officers and soldiers who died in war. A gallery named after Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey (PVC posthumously) houses pictures of soldiers marching on the mountain slopes.
The uniqueness of the gallery is because of the picture of a dead Pakistani officer, Captain Karnal Sher Khan, whose bravery impressed the Indian Army that asked the Pakistan army to honor the officer with ‘Nishan-e-Haider’, the highest military award in Pakistan. Khan was later felicitated posthumously.
The Kargil War carries so many tragedies within but the most disturbing is the death of 527 soldiers and they were in the age group of 19 to 35 years. What a great cause they have accomplished for the country.
These young buds have laid their life for the intelligence failure as openly spoken by retired Brigadier M.P.S Bajwa, who commanded 192 Mountain Brigade during the Kargil War and was decorated for inspiring leadership and gallantry during the Battle for Tiger Hill. The scars of the Kargil War of 1999 are still afresh in India and we commemorate the heroic deeds of our Jawans by organizing functions to pay floral tributes. The politicians throng such occasions like honey bees to air their concern but for the remaining 364 days of the year the sacrifices of these Jawans never come to their minds. The government feels its duty limited only to sanction compensations, job to next kin, announcement of bravery awards, and paying floral tributes on occasions marked to remember them and all is over.
Their families know how never a regular feature becomes. When it is time to commemorate their martyrdom, it is also time to pray for a good sense for the politicians who are the real force behind inflicting such scars.
We find these politicians indulging in debates on the country’s serious matters of defense and giving solutions of border disputes and wars whereas not even one ‘Sepoy’ of this fraternity has ever served the defense force. If we deeply involve our brains to conclude what causes the war between two nations, we can safely conclude that among various reasons the ego, their brain conflict, not assessing the things in right perspective are the main causes. It is the conflict of minds of those sitting at the helm of affairs, and it is the blood of our Jawans that is splashed on the borders.
We don’t find the generation of these politicians fighting for the country on borders but find them busy in amassing the wealth by indulging in scandals and scams and they never hesitate even to grease their palms in defence deals.
When we have experienced that the Pakistan is always and at all the places is always busy in creating trouble for the peace loving country, we don’t find much actions by the Government of India except visiting country to country to muster support to isolate the Pakistan on international scene and with the efforts to get it declared as ‘Terrorist Country’ but on our home ground we are carrying all business through trade routes even after getting exposed that it is the main route of terror funding in Kashmir, we are on playgrounds with them even when condemned with one voice of nation, we are carrying on the status of ‘Most Favored Nation’ given only by India, we failed to look into water treaty once much talked tool by the Modi government, pampering the embassy in Delhi and many more.
It is very easy to condemn or to appreciate someone’s act, especially when we talk of our soldiers. We issue statements while sitting in furnished air-conditioned offices and feel proud of those laying their life for the sake of the country, a country that has been plunged into a quagmire of hate, religious divide, castes, discrimination and self aggrandizement by none else but by these politicians. A politician sitting in the cabinet berth dictates the defence authorities about the things to be taken in which perspective that is basically a novice and enjoys such privilege only by virtue of his benediction to some political party. An army Commander possessing vast knowledge of his field feels helpless before these henchmen of politics.
Concluding, 24 years after the Kargil War, we remember what happened and pay homage to the brave soldiers and Kargil heroes on the day, who gave their life to protect Indian borders. The soldier above all others pay for peace, it is the soldier’s family who suffers and bears the deepest wounds and scars of war. Words will not be enough for the sacrifice of our great soldiers, we Indians are proud of you. There may be a historical phenomenon that India will move to a prosperous nation of the world and it will be an achievement but in real sense such transformation will be real tributes to our Great War heroes. The bravery awards compensation, jobs etc are not the tools to fade the memories from the hearts of those who’s young ones are no more with them but these are the tools to remember their heroic deeds making them proud. We salute our real heroes on the day.
