SOURCE: HT
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday recalled Indian Army’s victory in the Kargil War in 1999, and criticised Pakistan saying it undertook the misadventure with sinister plans to capture India’s land. “Today is Kargil Vijay Diwas. 21 years ago, on this day our Army won the Kargil war. India can never forget circumstances under which the war was fought. Pakistan undertook this misadventure with sinister plans to capture India’s land and to divert its ongoing internal conflicts,” PM Modi said on Mann ki Baat.
“India was then trying to have cordial relations with Pakistan but as it is said it is the nature of wicked to have enmity with everyone for no reason. People of such nature think evil even of those who do good to them. That is why in response to India’s friendly endeavours Pakistan tried to backstab. But the world witnessed the valour and strength of India’s brave forces,” he added.
“You can imagine, the enemy was perched high on the mountains while our forces were fighting them. But the high morale and true grit of our forces won against mountains,” said the prime minister.
Earlier, PM Modi had tweeted on India’s victory in Kargil and said that “we remember the courage and determination of our armed forces”.
On July 26, 1999, the Indian armed forces had defeated Pakistan in a conflict in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kargil district. Since then, the day is celebrated as ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ to rekindle the pride and valour of the soldiers who took part in Operation Vijay.
The conflict began in May 1999 after Indian forces detected infiltrations by Pakistani troops and terrorists into Indian territory. The Pakistani side had a strategic advantage during the start of the conflict as they had positioned themselves in key locations and could fire at advancing Indian troops.
After identifying the points of incursions, the Indian Army had launched Operation Vijay to take on the Pakistanis. The Indian Air Force too joined the conflict with their MiG-21, MiG-27 and Mirage-2000 fighters firing rockets and missiles at “fortified enemy positions” from their side of Line of Control or LoC.
The victory came after nearly three-month-long battle in the icy heights of Kargil.
