On July 26, 1999, the Indian Army announced that they had successfully culminated 'Operation Vijay', thereby declaring victory in the war with Pakistan. It was a nearly three-month-long battle on the icy heights of Kargil in Ladakh. Since then, this day came to be known as Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Today as the world commemorates the auspicious occasion and remembers the ones who had laid their lives on the battlefield trying to protect motherland India, let's talk to a few celebrities and find out what they were up to around that time. Some celebs even reveal their first memories of the Kargil war and how the entire scenario in the country was at that time. Have a look:
Vineet Kumar Singh
I've had the opportunity to portray a man in uniform and I can assure you that simply donning the uniform inspires great courage and instils a sense of duty towards the country. It truly works its magic to strip away all other feelings, leaving only a strong sense of patriotism. Being an actor, the wounds are created using prosthetics, but our warriors continue to make the ultimate sacrifice despite having terrible wounds. On this Kargil Vijay Diwas, numerous soldiers were martyred and I feel there shouldn't be one particular day to honor their sacrifices but they should be celebrated every day.
Delnaaz Irani
I don’t remember distinctly, but there used to be a lot of discussions at home. My mother comes from an NCC background so she always used to talk to us about the army and forces. I would see her in the uniform and feel so proud since she was a major in the NCC. She used to go to camps and tell us stories of various wars. It takes a lot for somebody to be at a war, it’s something that we can’t even imagine. During the Kargil War, everybody used to discuss it. We all used to watch the war on TV and salute our warriors out there. We have always had this atmosphere at home where there was lots of love, admiration and respect for people who are in the forces
Jay Zaveri
The Kargil War has become an unforgettable event in the history of India. This was an event that brought about a feeling of patriotism in the hearts of every Indian. The brave struggle of Indian soldiers will continue to be an inspiration to all citizens of our country. Even though it has all happened in the past, the stories of the war are still fresh in our blood. When the war happened, I was a kid and I remember that my parents used to tell me about the war and how the Indian army acted as a shield so that we could sleep comfortably in our homes. While we were having meals with our families, there was blood being shed by the warriors. I was always very thrilled to know about what was happening there. Movies, articles, and radio helped me gain more knowledge about the war and made me proud every time. There were movies like ‘LOC’ and ‘Lakshya’ that I used to see during my childhood and every time I saw those movies it made me feel so proud that we are so privileged to be protected by our soldiers. It used to break my heart when I used to hear something related to the war. I was in 9th grade when this happened so there are very few memories that I can recollect as of now. However, when we see all these movies that tell us the stories of the Kargil War, we tend to feel proud of the same
Sudhanshu Pandey
The memory that I have of the Kargil War is that of always waiting for the news about what is happening and what is going on in Kargil and how the fight was on every day. The other memory that I have is of a very dear friend of mine, he was like a close brother to me. He now lives in Singapore but was in the army at that point in time. He fought the Kargil war and took a bullet around his knee, after which he had to take retirement. I am very proud of the fact that somebody who was so close to me, fought that war. I feel very proud of what our brave jawans did up there
Amal Sehrawat
I pay tribute to all the brave soldiers who fought this long battle. I was young when the Kargil war happened. I had heard and read about it and it was a touching reality that our soldiers fought for the country. During the war times, everyone used to be curious about what was happening up there, and we all used to listen to the radio or watch TV about the war updates. I have been 6 feet tall and army-related roles always attract me. I would like to play a soldier in a film based on Kargil. The cinema and books on the Kargil war keep the current generation updated about what all happened in Kargil. So we know the sacrifices of our soldiers.
Sharad Malhotra
I had seen the news on TV and had discussed it with my parents as well at that time. It was very disheartening. I always feel patriotic towards my country and value independence and the peace where we live in. Whenever I saw films like ‘LOC Kargil’ I realized how much risk of life was involved for the nation. One day I would like to work on a project based on Kargil.
Balraj Syal
I was a kid roaming around freely when suddenly realized that we are at war. It was the first time that every alternate hour there were special Kargil bulletins showcased on news channels. Family members used to discuss it very seriously and at school, we used to stay silent for 2 minutes whenever we were asked to pay our respect to our martyrs. Every time my grandfather used to say, 'news lagao 6 baje gaye, news lagao 7 baj gaye (put on the news, it's 6 o'clock, put on the news it's 7 o'clock) to see the war updates. It kind of felt strange then but when we recall those days now we understand the real sacrifice of our soldiers and indeed it was a Vijay Diwas for all of us when the war was put to an end.
