Kargil Vijay Diwas 2024: The 7 bravehearts who made India proud during the war

Every year on July 26, we Indians observe the Kargil Vijay Diwas to observe India's victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War and to honour the brave soldiers who fought and gave their lives for the country. As we commemorate the 25th anniversary of this historic event, let's learn more and get inspired by these 7 bravehearts of the Indian Army who fought valiantly during the war to defend the nation's sovereignty.

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Kargil heros that made India proud

1) Captain Vikram Batra

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Born on 9 September 1974 in Himachal Pradesh's Palmapur, Vikram Batra joined the IMA in June 1996 and was commissioned into the 13th Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles as a Lieutenant after completing his training. He was famously known as 'Shershaah' and the catchy slogan 'Yeh Dil Mange More!' was his success signal. Vikram Batra was killed during his attempt to capture Peak 4875 and was awarded Param Vir Chakra, posthumously, for his actions during the Kargil War.

2) Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey

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Born on 25 June 1974 in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur, Manoj Kumar Pandey was a soldier of the 1/11 Gorkha Rifles. He was part of the team tasked to push back intruders during the Kargil War and the braveheart continued his assault under intense enemy fire even after being grievously injured. According to his father, Manoj joined the Army with the aim of getting a Param Vir Chakra, which he did posthumously, for his supreme sacrifice in the war.

3) Rifleman Sanjay Kumar

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Born in March 1976 in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur, Sanjay Kumar volunteered to be the leading scout of the attacking team tasked to capture the Flat Top of Point 4875 in the Mushkoh Valley. During this difficult task, Sanjay displayed unadulterated courage with little to no regard for personal safety and charged on, killing three enemy soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. Even after being seriously injured, he refused to be evacuated and carried on with his mission, for which he too was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military decoration.

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4) Major Rajesh Singh Adhikari

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Born in December 1970 in Uttarakhand's (then UP) Nainital, Rajesh Singh Adhikari was part of the Battalion tasked to capture the Tololong feature on 30 May 1999 during the Kargil War. During the battle, Rajesh heroically led his company and showed great presence of mind to engage the enemy position even after he was fired from two mutually supporting enemy positions. Despite his injuries, he refused to be evacuated and continued to direct the subunit. He was immensely helpful in the capture of the second position at Tooling which in turn aided in the capture of Pont 4590. For his actions, the Major was awarded Maha Vir Chakra, posthumously, after he succumbed to his injuries.

5) Major Vivek Gupta

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Originally from Dehradun Vivek Gupta was in command of Charlie Company who led the 2 Rajputana Rifles during their Battalion attack on Tololing Top in the Drass Sector. During their mission while under intense multi-directional fire, Vivek showed immense courage and smartly fired a rocket launcher at the enemy position. He then bravely charged onto the enemy position and successfully neutralised three enemy soldiers in hand-to-hand combat despite being previously shot. He later succumbed to his injuries and was posthumously awarded Maha Vir Chakra, for his courage that led to the capture of Tololing Top.

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6) Naik Digendra Kumar

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Born in July 1969 in Rajasthan's Sikar, Digendra Kumar was the commander of the Light Machine Gun Group part of the company taked to capture a well-fortified enemy position on the Tololing feature in Drass Sector. Digendra courageously fought during the assault going as far as continuing to shoot with one hand after being shot in the left arm. It was his bravery and courage that greatly aided in the assault group's successful mission and he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second-highest military decoration in India, for it after the end of the Kargil War.

7) Lt. Keishing Clifford Nongrum

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Born in March 1975 in Meghalaya's Shillong, Keishing Clifford Nongrum was tasked to assault a feature of the South-Eastern direction during the operation to capture Point 4812 in the Batalik Sector. Keishing successfully led his column over the next-to-impossible vertical cliff feature and then went on to courageously fight under intense enemy fire. Despite the injuries that he later succumbed to, the Lieutenant proved to be the driving force behind the successful capture of Point 4812 for which he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously.

The inspiring stories of these 7 officers are just a drop in the ocean when we talk about the sacrifices made by our soldiers during the Kargil War. Nearly 490 Indian Army officers, soldiers and jawans were killed during the course of the battle and many more if we take into account the totality of Indian Armed Forces. As we mark the 25th anniversary of the war this year, let us not forget about the sacrifice made by the soldiers and continue to get inspired by their courage.

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