New Delhi: About 500 officers and soldiers died pushing back intruding Pakistani soldiers from the heights of the Himalayas during the Kargil War.
But 10 years after, in the summer of 2009, the Kargil War is generating more politics than ever with allegations that the UPA government has chosen to downplay the Kargil victory.
"In recent days, a leading light in Parliament, when asked by a journalist to memorise Kargil said 'Kargil was a BJP war, let them celebrate it'," said Rajeev Chandrashekar, MP, Rajya Sabha.
Also, the fact that the Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor will be in the US when the country remembers Kargil on Sunday, hasn't helped the situation.
"I feel they should have been here at all costs, no matter what the other commitments may have been," said Col (Retd) V N Thapar, father of Captain Vijayant Thapar, winner of Vir Chakra.
"I do wish they would celebrate it because they are important events in the history of a country," said General V P Malik, Chief of Army Staff during Kargil War.
But now a decision by the Prime Minister to pay homage to Kargil heroes at Amar Jawan Jyoti on Sunday morning could well silence the government critics.