Nine years down the memory lane .... what these months of May & June remind you of? To most of us I guess nothing. So let us refresh our memories as we mark this 14th July the 9th Victory Day of the Kargil War with Pakistan.
It was a war as never fought before...not going in to much detail I can say that the difficulties which our soldiers faced in this war was never heard of and yet they stood up against every hurdle to save the pride of the Himalayas.
The intrusion by the Pakistani soldiers ( the so called Mujahideens, i wonder whether the Pakistani army was sleeping when they let these so called mujahideen cross the LOC) started in early May and took the shape of an full fledge war by June. There are umpteen heroic stories of our soldiers who bravely fought against the enemy keeping aside all their fears they aimed at one Target to recapture the peaks. More than 600 men became martyrs in the War and every sacrifice, every fire shot and every heroic act took us closer to victory. It is very easy for us now to praise the martyrs and the army (though majority does not even remember their names) but we must not overlook the hardship they suffered and ask our Government who gave such an step motherly treatment to the army and does till now. Canvas shoes in biting cold, old rifles which backfire, zero facilities of food clothes and water on high battle grounds and the high political pressure to capture the peaks back, this did frustrated the soldier but did not take their zeal away, when the duty has to be done it has to be done without excuses and our army knew that very well.
The war brought out names of the real lover of our country, the real heroes, to name a few were Capt. Vikram Batra,PVC, Capt. Manoj Panday, PVC, Capt. Vijayant Thapar, VrC., Capt. N. Kenguruse, MVC, Major. Vivek Gupta, MVC, Capt. Anuj Nayyar, MVC, and many more (log on to www.bharat-rakshak.com to find the list of all the martyrs). The men lived together and died together too...
For me what sums up the Kargil are the story of two great men who gallantly fought for the honour of their country
Capt. Manoj Kumar Panday, PVC, was asked in his SSB interview that why he wanted to join the army and his simple reply was, "to win the Param Veer Chakra" and he did win though he was not alive to see this day but definitely his soul was put to rest. The brave soldier helped won the whole war... the brave Gorkha of all time.
It was a war as never fought before...not going in to much detail I can say that the difficulties which our soldiers faced in this war was never heard of and yet they stood up against every hurdle to save the pride of the Himalayas.
The intrusion by the Pakistani soldiers ( the so called Mujahideens, i wonder whether the Pakistani army was sleeping when they let these so called mujahideen cross the LOC) started in early May and took the shape of an full fledge war by June. There are umpteen heroic stories of our soldiers who bravely fought against the enemy keeping aside all their fears they aimed at one Target to recapture the peaks. More than 600 men became martyrs in the War and every sacrifice, every fire shot and every heroic act took us closer to victory. It is very easy for us now to praise the martyrs and the army (though majority does not even remember their names) but we must not overlook the hardship they suffered and ask our Government who gave such an step motherly treatment to the army and does till now. Canvas shoes in biting cold, old rifles which backfire, zero facilities of food clothes and water on high battle grounds and the high political pressure to capture the peaks back, this did frustrated the soldier but did not take their zeal away, when the duty has to be done it has to be done without excuses and our army knew that very well.
The war brought out names of the real lover of our country, the real heroes, to name a few were Capt. Vikram Batra,PVC, Capt. Manoj Panday, PVC, Capt. Vijayant Thapar, VrC., Capt. N. Kenguruse, MVC, Major. Vivek Gupta, MVC, Capt. Anuj Nayyar, MVC, and many more (log on to www.bharat-rakshak.com to find the list of all the martyrs). The men lived together and died together too...
For me what sums up the Kargil are the story of two great men who gallantly fought for the honour of their country
Capt. Manoj Kumar Panday, PVC, was asked in his SSB interview that why he wanted to join the army and his simple reply was, "to win the Param Veer Chakra" and he did win though he was not alive to see this day but definitely his soul was put to rest. The brave soldier helped won the whole war... the brave Gorkha of all time.
Capt. N. Kenguruse, MVC, an with a tongue twister of a name: Neikezhakuo Kenguruse, Neibu to his family and friends, "Nimbu Sahab" to the north Indian soldiers who served under him. On the night of June 28, Neibu led a commando team whose mission was to capture enemy positions perched on top of Lone Hill in the Drass sector. Neibu volunteered to take on Lone Hill ahead of his men of a commando platoon to secure a rope at the top so they could follow. The rock face hung at obtuse angles. His boots lost grip on the slippery surface. So at 16,000 ft and minus 10 degrees, he decided to become the primeval Naga warrior once again: he kicked off his shoes and made the climb. Once on top, he placed a light machine gun to hold the enemy. They replied with a volley of fire. He killed four of them before bullets blew him off the cliff. He fell 200 ft. His troops went on to capture Lone Hill. When the job was done, they looked down at the dark depths where he lay, dead, and cried themselves hoarse: "Yeh aapki jeet hai Nimbu Sahab. Yeh aap ki jeet hai (this is your victory)."
The Himalayas known as the abode of Gods, and certainly the Kargil added a few more names to it :)
Today, when we talk of peace with Pakistan and try to make relations of the two nations better so such incidents are not repeated let us not forget these men who laid down their life when we needed it.
Jab Aman Ki Baansuri Goonje Gagan Ke Tale
Jab Dosti Kaa Diyaa In Sarhadon Pe Jale
Jab Bhool Ke Dushmani Lag Jaaye Koi Gale
Jab Saare Insaano Kaa Ho Ek Hi Kaafilaa
Bas Itnaa Yaad Rahe Ek Saathi Aur Bhi Thaa
Jaao Jo Laut Ke Tum Ghar Ho Khushi Se Bharaa
Bas Itnaa Yaad Rahe Ek Saathi Aur Bhi Thaa
Jab Bhool Ke Dushmani Lag Jaaye Koi Gale
Jab Saare Insaano Kaa Ho Ek Hi Kaafilaa
Bas Itnaa Yaad Rahe Ek Saathi Aur Bhi Thaa
Jaao Jo Laut Ke Tum Ghar Ho Khushi Se Bharaa
Bas Itnaa Yaad Rahe Ek Saathi Aur Bhi Thaa
