Veterans pay homage to Kargil martyrs in MP

Bhopal, July 26: On the seventh anniversary of the Kargil conflict, Indian Armed Forces veterans gathered at a 'Vijay Diwas Samaroh' here to pay tributes to those young officers and men who ascended the cold heights as gallant warriors and returned as immortal heroes, in coffins.

Among the approximately 60 persons present at the District Sainik Board (DSB) premises were the city-resident parents of Major Ajay Prasad and Lance Naik Dilip Singh Lingwal's father Raghuveer Singh Lingwal.

On May 19, 1999, Mechanised Infantry officer Maj Prasad fell fighting Pakistani regulars in Avantipur area of Kargil sector. L/Nk Lingwal made the supreme sacrifice at Akhnoor.

''Besides paying homage to the more than 500 departed souls, we gathered to express our heartfelt gratitude to the nation for remembering our valiant personnel in the form of Kargil Vijay Diwas. Today is nothing short of a festival for the armed forces,'' Lieutenant-Colonel (retd) Suresh Chandra Dixit -- who is District Sainik Welfare Officer and Secretary, DSB, Bhopal -- told UNI.

Air Marshal (retd) V K Verma brought out the trying conditions in which the personnel operated during Operation Vijay, which witnessed successful dislodging of a well-entrenched enemy that had the tactical advantage of higher ground.

While Major-General (retd) S R Sinho delivered an emotional address, Colonel (retd) G K Pandey -- who was stationed in Kargil much before 1999 -- expressed keenness to offer his services there, in whatever capacity the Army thought fit, as he was familiar with the inhospitable terrain. Other veterans present were Maj-Gen M P S Kandal who served as Additional Director-General (Operational Logistics), Brigadier K P 'Tom' Pandey, Mahavir Chakra, Brig N S Surrie, Brig S C Kural, Brig G S Sandhu, Col S Kumar, Vishisht Seva Medal, Col C P Grover, Col N L Singh, Col N K Tiwari, Air Commodore V K Nigam, Air Vice-Marshal A V Pethia and Group Captain J J Lala.

Floral tributes were paid to Maj Prasad whose photograph was flanked by those of Captain Devashish Sharma and Capt Shreyans Gandhi who had also belonged to Bhopal. Though the latter two officers were not associated with Op Vijay, their sacrifices were not lesser in degree.

Capt Sharma, an Army Medical Corps officer, fell victim to terrorist bullets on December 10, 1995 in Kashmir while providing treatment to two non-commissioned officers who were injured during a search operation.

Capt Gandhi was slain in a demining exercise that followed Op Parakram.

UNI