This Article is From Jul 25, 2009

India salutes Kargil heroes

India salutes Kargil heroes
Kargil, J&K:

As part of the two-day Vijay Diwas celebrations, which began on Saturday to commemorate the jawans who laid their lives in the Kargil War, India paid tribute to those 533 jawans.

And it was a nostalgic moment for the gallantry award winners to be at a place where they fought some of the most difficult mountain battles in the history of warfare just 10 years back.

"It is quite nostalgic when I was listening to the commentary in the morning where they gave a brief of all the action," said Lt Col Kariyappa, Vir Chakra Winner, Kargil War.

It is a feeling you can't describe -- you think about the men you have lost, you will never get to serve with such men in any profession in any part of the world.

"Paramount importance is your task and we are trained to deal with casualties. I did that and thereafter whatever else was supposed to be done. I kept my emotions under check and I was clear about what had to be done at that point of time and I carried out my task," said Col Sonam Wangchuk, Mahavir Chakra winner.

"I feel sadness because my own buddy was killed at Tiger Hill. I am in touch with his family, I go to them every year. When I remember these moments I feel sad," said Major Sachin Nimbalkar, Vir Chakra winner.

Today everything has changed. Drass sector that was bombed to shreds in 1999 is a mini-boom town, something made possible through the determination of our jawans and their officers.

"Whenever I think about these people, I remember the faces. I remember the faces which were assuring and full of confidence 'We will do it'. They were determined faces. I also saw them when they captured a difficult feature. They were jubilant and celebrating. One also remembers when they lost their colleagues, the sad faces," said General V P Malik, Chief of Army Staff during Kargil War.

Ten years ago, Drass sector was a ghost town. But today it is a boom town with just about everything in it. For the families who lost their loved ones, coming back to this area is an extremely poignant moment, an opportunity to meet old friends and reflect on the tremendous sacrifices of their sons.

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