Vijay Diwas, celebrated every year on 26 July, is more than a commemoration, it is a call to national memory.
Vijay Diwas, celebrated every year on 26 July, is more than a commemoration, it is a call to national memory.
New Delhi: “When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.” Epitaph at Kohima War Cemetery coined by John Maxwell Edmonds
On 26 July in 1999, India’s Armed Forces achieved a remarkable and costly victory in the face of betrayal, deception, and extreme adversity. Vijay Diwas, celebrated every year on 26th July, is more than a commemoration—it is a call to national memory. It reminds us of the summer when the rocks of Kargil bore witness to grit unmatched and blood unforgotten. The war demanded extraordinary sacrifices, exposed hostile duplicity, and revealed critical lessons in operational readiness and national security. This was the time when the enemy sought to steal our land under the cover of snow, but found instead the steel of Indian resolve.
The Kargil War was a conflict foisted upon India, not on a battlefield, but through deceit. While the world believed peace was on the horizon following Prime Minister Vajpayee’s historic Lahore bus journey in February 1999, Pakistan was preparing to stab India in the back.
Soldiers of the Pakistan Army, masquerading as mujahideen, had illegally infiltrated and occupied key heights on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC). The aim was to sever the Srinagar-Leh highway, internationalise the Kashmir issue, and force Indian withdrawal from Siachen and Ladakh.
What followed was not just a counter-operation, but a national mobilisation of spirit and sacrifice. India launched Operation Vijay, and the Indian Air Force began Operation Safed Sagar to flush out the intruders.
The task was herculean—Indian soldiers had to climb vertical ice-covered cliffs under enemy fire, in rarefied air and sub-zero temperatures, against a well-entrenched enemy in dominant positions. Yet, as history would record, India did not just repel the infiltration—it reclaimed every inch.
Kargil was a crucible of courage. Hundreds of young officers and jawans displayed battlefield gallantry of the highest order, many making the supreme sacrifice.
The relentless courage shown, often by very young officers and soldiers, under conditions that would break many, has since become legendary. Bravery awards were conferred at every level, including four Param Vir Chakras—the nation’s highest military honour.
Captain Vikram Batra, Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar and Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav epitomised the ultimate heroism and selfless valour on the battlefield.
In all, 527 Indian soldiers were martyred and over 1300 were wounded. Each peak captured bore a cost, and each cost brought the flag higher.
Kargil was a tactical and moral victory, but it was also a reminder that in geopolitics, peace must be verified, not assumed.
The intelligence failures preceding the conflict, particularly in terms of high-altitude monitoring, had severe consequences. India trusted the peace overtures from Pakistan and scaled back winter deployments. The result was an audacious Pakistani intrusion.
While India respected the Geneva Conventions and handled Pakistani POWs and bodies with dignity, Pakistan refused to accept even the corpses of its own soldiers. This moral contrast between the two nations was stark and undeniable.
India, despite immense provocation, chose not to cross the LoC—preserving its international credibility and commitment to a rules-based order.
Kargil must not only be remembered emotionally, but also studied strategically. It changed the way India thought about warfare, deterrence, and national preparedness.
● Eternal vigilance is the price of peace: Kargil taught India that diplomatic overtures must never come at the cost of military preparedness. Today, our troops man posts year-round on high-altitude ridgelines that were once left vacant in winter. Satellite imagery, drones, thermal imaging, and automated sensors now support boots on the ground.
● Jointmanship matters: The war exposed a lack of synergy between the services and intelligence arms. Since then, India has moved towards jointness in operations. The Kargil Review Committee and the Naresh Chandra Task Force paved the way for reforms. The push for Integrated Theatre Commands, though still incomplete, is rooted in the Kargil experience.
● Media and morale: Kargil was India’s first “televised war.” Images and stories from the frontlines were beamed into homes daily. This unprecedented access created a groundswell of public support and reinforced the morale of both soldiers and civilians. It also underlined the role of strategic communication in modern warfare.
● Honour the fallen with action: Wreaths and tributes are meaningful, but real honour lies in policy. We must ensure soldiers’ welfare, equipment modernisation, and institutional memory of conflict are embedded in defence planning. Widows and families of martyrs deserve dignity, benefits, and national gratitude, not bureaucratic neglect.
Kargil was not an aberration—it was a glimpse into Pakistan’s enduring strategic mindset. Despite facing global scrutiny, Pakistan continues to employ asymmetric tactics—terrorism, narco-funding, drone drops, and cyber warfare. India must evolve continuously to meet these changing threats.
Strengthen our defences at every layer: High-altitude warfare requires specialised gear, logistics, and training. India must invest in:
■ Lightweight winter equipment
■ Autonomous supply drones for inaccessible regions
■ High-resolution satellite surveillance
■ Precision-guided munitions for mountain warfare
Strategic diplomacy with tactical resolve: India must maintain a credible deterrent posture. Surgical strikes (2016), Balakot (2019) and Op Sindoor (2025) demonstrated this resolve. Our adversaries must know that the cost of provocation will be unaffordable. Simultaneously, we must continue diplomatic efforts to isolate and expose state sponsors of terrorism globally.
A national security doctrine with teeth: India must formalise its red lines. A comprehensive National Security Strategy (NSS) must detail our response framework across kinetic, cyber, and informational domains. Strategic ambiguity does not deter our enemies. Strategic clarity does.
Empowering the soldier, beyond ceremonies: From fast-tracking OROP grievances to enhancing housing, pensions, and psychological health support, India must invest in soldier welfare. Veterans and their families deserve honour and support beyond slogans.
Build a public memory that endures: Our children should grow up learning about the bravery of Kargil in schools. Military history must be institutionalised in curricula, museums, and public discourse—not only to remember war, but to value peace.
Kargil was not just a military conflict—it was a national reckoning. The rocks of Tololing and Tiger Hill still echo the war cries of soldiers who chose courage over comfort, mission over mortality. Their legacy cannot be confined to one day of remembrance.
Let Vijay Diwas be a living call to the nation. To prepare. To remain vigilant. To honour the past through present action.
Wars are fought by soldiers. But victories belong to nations. Let us be the nation they died for.
*Maj Gen Deepak Mehra, Kirti Chakra, AVSM, VSM (Retd.), Former Indian Military Attache to Moscow, Founding Director and CEO of Thorsec Global Pvt Ltd."
