- Thursday, February 27, 2025
Indian Army chief general Manoj Pande, who was also in Drass and paid floral tributes to the martyred soldiers, said the challenges before the armed forces are likely to get more complex in the future.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN defence minister Rajnath Singh said on the occasion of the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas, which is held every year to commemorate the Indian armed forces’ victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War of 1999, on Wednesday (26) that India is ready to cross the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan to maintain its honour and dignity.
He also called upon civilians to be ready to extend support to the soldiers in such a situation. He cited the ongoing war in Ukraine saying the conflict has been going on for more than a year since civilians have stepped up and are taking part in it.
Paid tributes to India’s bravehearts at Kargil War Memorial in Dras. The Indian Armed Forces fought valiantly and many soldiers laid down their lives in the line of duty. The nation will remain indebted to their service and sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/xuNXBuxXvj
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 26, 2023
Singh was speaking at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass in the northern Union Territory of Ladakh.
Earlier, he laid a wreath at the memorial to pay tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the 1999 war.
Speaking about the war, Singh said it was imposed on India.
“We were backstabbed by Pakistan… the war was imposed on India. I salute our brave sons who put the country first and sacrificed their lives,” he said.
“Whenever there has been a war situation, our public has always supported the forces but that support has been indirect. I urge the public to be ready to support the soldiers directly in the battlefield if the need arises.
“We can go to any extreme to maintain the honour and dignity of the country… if that includes crossing the LoC, we are ready to do that,” the minister added.
The Indian Army had launched a fierce counterassault to push back Pakistani forces that had stealthily occupied important heights in Ladakh in 1999.
Indian Army chief general Manoj Pande, who was also in Drass and paid floral tributes to the martyred soldiers, said the dangers and challenges before the armed forces are likely to get more complex in the future and India needs to be ready to face them.
He added the armed forces should prepare for the future keeping in mind the possible challenges.
“Dangers and challenges before us are likely to get complex in the future, we need to be ready,” General Pande told reporters at the Kargil War Memorial.
“We have been working on adaptive, resilient and responsive processes. Our Army will emerge as a technology-enabled and future-ready force to deal with security challenges,” he said.
The Army chief noted that the country will never forget the supreme sacrifice of the soldiers in the 1999 Kargil war.
“Operation Vijay (codename of the Indian military operation in Kargil) was a difficult and high-intensity military operation. It was a difficult terrain that was under the possession of the enemy. It was a challenge that our soldiers accomplished…I also want to commend the Air warriors for their contribution in achieving the final objective,” he said.
Indian president Droupadi Murmu also paid tributes to the armed forces saying all the countrymen remember the victory achieved by the extraordinary valour of the country’s armed forces on the glorious occasion of ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’.
“Today, on the glorious occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, all the countrymen remember the victory achieved by the extraordinary valor of our armed forces. On behalf of a grateful nation, I pay tribute and bow to the memory of the fighters who paved the way for victory by sacrificing their lives to protect the country. Their heroic stories will always inspire generations to come. Jai Hind!” Murmu tweeted in Hindi.
Prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted in Hindi, “Kargil Vijay Diwas brings to the fore the heroic saga of those wonderful bravehearts of India, who will always remain an inspiration for the countrymen. On this special day, I bow down and salute him from the bottom of my heart. Long live India!”
कारगिल विजय दिवस भारत के उन अद्भुत पराक्रमियों की शौर्यगाथा को सामने लाता है, जो देशवासियों के लिए सदैव प्रेरणाशक्ति बने रहेंगे। इस विशेष दिवस पर मैं उनका हृदय से नमन और वंदन करता हूं। जय हिंद!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 26, 2023
Indian home minister Amit Shah said in a tweet in Hindi, “Kargil Vijay Diwas is the day of victory for the honor of crores of countrymen. It is a day to pay tribute to all the mighty warriors who defended every inch of their motherland with sky high spirits and steely determination like a mountain. With their sacrifice and sacrifice, the brave soldiers of Bharat Mata not only kept the pride, pride and glory of this Vasundhara supreme, but also kept their won traditions alive. On behalf of the grateful nation, I salute your dedication to keep the integrity of the country intact by hoisting the tricolor proudly again on the inaccessible hills of Kargil.”
कारगिल विजय दिवस करोड़ों देशवासियों के सम्मान के विजय का दिन है। यह सभी पराक्रमी योद्धाओं को श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित करने का दिन है जिन्होंने आसमान से भी ऊँचे हौसले और पर्वत जैसे फौलादी दृढ़ निश्चय से अपनी मातृभूमि के कण-कण की रक्षा की। भारत माता के वीर सिपाहियों ने अपने त्याग व… pic.twitter.com/iv7RlROfkg
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 26, 2023
(With PTI inputs)
