Kargil Vijay Diwas 2019: When Vajpayee announced victory in advance
New Delhi, July 26: On 26 July, 2019, India is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the victory of the India Armed Forces over Pakistani troops in 1999. The anniversary is observed each year across the nation to show respect and gratitude to the brave servicemen of the armed forces who laid down their lives to re-capture all positions that had been seized by Pakistan Army.
How
Kargil
war
started?
The Kargil war, which took place between May and July of 1999, began with the infiltration of both Pakistani troops and terrorists into Indian territory. Their aim was to sever the link between Kashmir and Ladakh, and cause Indian forces to withdraw from the Siachen Glacier and force India to negotiate a settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
President Kovind to visit Kargil War Memorial in J&K's Dras
The Government of India had recruited approximately 200,000 Indian troops to fight. A total number of 527 soldiers of the Indian Armed forces lost their lives during this war. Pakistan lost its 700 men.
When
Atal
Bihari
Vajpayee
had
announced
the
victory
in
advance:
At
the
height
of
the
Kargil
War,
on
the
evening
of
July
3,
1999,
the
Indian
Army
started
the
operation
to
recapture
Tiger
Hill.
However, the very next day during a public rally in Haryana, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced the army's success. This was at a time when Indian soldiers had just got a foothold over the feature.
Indian Army officer, Brigadier M.P.S. Bajwa (now retired), who was then commanding the 192 Mountain Brigade to recapture Tiger Hill from Pakistan said,"It would have been very embarrassing (if things happened otherwise). However, we won later.''
The day when Vajpayee made the announcement, Nawaz Sharif was to meet US President Bill Clinton. The issue took a political turn. Soon Pakistan decided to withdraw its troops."