Kargil Vijay Diwas 15th anniversary: Remembering Captain Vijayant Thapar & his last letter

New Delhi, July 26: As India observes the 15th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26, Saturday, by remembering and paying tributes to the slain Indian soldiers,

has exclusively covered the Kargil war stories by reaching at the ground zero level, where the war began and was won by the brave Indian army.

Indian army lost more than 500 soldiers in the Kargil conflict. One of them was Captain Vijayant Thapar, who was a part of the '2 Rajputana Rifles' (infantry regiment).

22 year old 'fearless' Vijayant laid down his life on June 29, 1999 during the 'Operation Vijay' for Tololing capture in Dras region of Kargil.

He was posthumously awarded the India's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra on January 26, 2000.

His father Colonel VN Thapar had served in the Indian army for 37 years.

In his Vir Chakra citation, it is mentioned that, "Captain Vijyant Thapar displayed remarkable cool, raw courage and exemplary valor and made the supreme sacrifice while facing the enemy."

While braving the Pakistan army intruders at the icy heights of Knoll and Three-Pimples of Drass sub-sector in Kargil, Captain Thapar had a "virtual premonition" about the ultimate fate and had penned down his last letter to his family members asking them to continue sending Rs 50 to Rukhsana, a girl in Kupwara.

Rukhsana, who was 5-year-old then, fondly remembers this "messiah", as a "tall man with whom she played on the school premises and who gave her handful of chocolates".

Captain Thapar in his last letter had written, "by the time you get this letter I will be observing you all from the sky enjoying the hospitality of apsaras (angels)...donate some money to orphanage and keep giving Rs 50 to Ruksana per month."

Here is the last letter written by Captain Vijayant Thapar to his family:

OneIndia News