New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his address to commemorate the 20th Kargil Vijay Diwas in New Delhi. The function is held at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in the national capital. On this day, Indians across the country and around the world remembers the sacrifice of our heroes on the icy mountains of Kargil two decades ago. Our resolve to never forget the attack upon our nation and the subsequent shedding of Indian blood is rekindled every year.
Narendra Modi paid his tribute to the brave soldiers who fell recapturing the posts occupied by Pakistani soldiers in the garb of terrorists. He also honoured the mothers of those martyred in Operation Vijay at Kargil.
He said, “On this occasion, I pay tribute to all those bravehearts who foiled the conspiracy to take down the tricolor from the peaks of Kargil by sacrificing their blood. I also pay respect to those brave mothers who gave birth to these bravehearts.”
Modi recalled that he had gone to Kargil when the war was at its zenith. He said that the enemy was in an advantageous position sitting on the high peaks. Though, the risk was high for the jawans, they wanted to reach the valley to fight the enemy.
The Prime Minister said that his government had taken several important decisions in the past 5 years for the welfare of the jawans and their families. He said that the government was able to implement the OROP, which was pending for decades.
The government was also took the decision to raise the scholarship of martyrs’ children.
Modi spoke about the need for modernizing the military when wars have reached space and also into the cyber world.
The Prime Minister said that today the nature of war has changed and the world is victim to pseudo war that is terrorism. He said that those defeated in war resorts to terrorism to fulfill their political objectives.
Modi also met with the father of Captain Vikram Batra, who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, posthumously for his exceptional courage under fire and his success in turning the tide in Indian favour after he captured point 5140, a strategic peak.
His resultant actions are now stuff of legend.
Modi said that when Captain Vikram Batra said “yeh dil mange more”, he meant for the whole Bharat and not for a religion, language or caste.
