KARGIL DAY....VIJAY DIVAS.. Remember them Always

Collected and contributed by Sh. A. B. Chattaraj

 

ON 26TH JULY , 1999  WE RECAPTURED OUR  LAST HILL FROM PAKISTAN,
BUT WE LOST OUR MOST VALUABLE , GREAT WARRIORS, BRAVE BROTHERS.

In memory of Vijay Divas,26th July, Let us bow our heads to the great heroes of India who laid down their lives so that we are safe today. FOR THEIR SAKES AND OURS LET US PLEDGE TO GIVE INDIA OUR VERY BEST. EACH TIME AND EVERY TIME.

KARGIL'S FIRST HERO
Lt. Saurabh Kalia

Capt.Vikram Batra
Param Vir Chakra(Posthumous)

Grenedier. Yogendra Singh
Param Vir Chakra

 

RFN .Sanjay Kumar
(Param Vir Chakra)

Major Padmapani Acharya,
Maha Vir Chakra (Posthumous)
Of the 2nd Battalion of The RAJPUTANA RIFLES

 

Lieutenant Balwan Singh,
Maha Vir Chakra
Of the 18th Battalion of GRENADIERS Regiment

Major M Saravanan,  
VirChakra,
1 Bihar                                   

Lieutenant Kanad Bhattacharya,
Sena Medal (Posthumous)(22 YEARS)

Captain Saju Cherian,
Sena Medal
307 Medium Regiment

Lieutenant Keishing Clifford Nangrum,
Maha Vir Chakra (Posthumous)
Of the 12th Battalion of JAMMU AND KASHMIR Light Infantry

Captain R Jerry Prem Raj,
Vir Chakra (Posthumous),
158 Medium Regiment

Major Sonam Wangchuk,
Maha Vir Chakra
Of the LADAKH Scouts

Officers & Jawans from the 2nd Rajputana Rifles pray before going into battle, to get back Tololing Top. Behind the jawan in the foreground (with a 5.56mm INSAS rifle) is Captain Vijayant Thapar . His face is partly hidden and is seen sporting a beard. Lieutenant Thapar laid down his life, in the capture of Tololing Top and was awarded the Vir Chakra posthumously for his valour.

Major Padmapani Acharya, 2nd Rajputana Rifles, leads his men into battle after the successful capture of Tololing Top. The 2 Raj. Rifles' next assignment was to capture the Knoll mountain feature in the Black Rock area, which is in the Drass sub-sector. It was here, that Major Acharya laid down his life in the highest traditions of the Indian Army on 29 June 1999. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, posthumously.

                                                Making the way through narrow valley

The Leh-Batalik road is as notorious as the Srinagar-Kargil road. At its beginning lie staging areas, at its end fierce fighting and often, death. Jawans patrol the rugged slopes near Batalik. For them, there is little time for rest and little time to think, always poised on the edge of action.

Capt.Vijayant Thapar (Robin)
He Laid  down for OUR BETTER TOMORROW At the age of  only  22
 

Moments before the final assault Capt. Vijyant Thapar (Robin) left this letter at the war front base, to be handed over to his family.

AND AFTER THAT
HE CAME BACK  TO HOME WITH  TRI COLOR  DRAPED

Jawans from the 2nd Rajputana Rifles, remember their 23 comrades who fell in the decisive battle for the Tololing Top. The battalion earned four Maha Vir Chakras, one of India's highest medals for gallantry, three of them being awarded posthumously.

Captain (Dr.) Rajshree Gupta, Army Medical Corps (AMC), salutes the tricolour-draped coffin of her husband, Major Vivek Gupta of the 2nd Rajputana Rifles, who died fighting the enemies.

The Jawans celebrating Vijay Divas.

JAY HIND !!!       JAY HIND!!!   JAY HIND!!!

Shri A. B. Chattaraj is Asst. GM(ATC) with Airports Authority of India and presently posted at Kolkata Airport.