Shimla, July 26

A state-level felicitation ceremony was held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas at the historic Gaiety Theatre here today.

Health and Family Welfare, Social Justice and Empowerment and Soldier Welfare Minister Colonel Dhani Ram Shandil, who was invited as the chief guest, paid tribute to the martyrs of the Kargil War. The martyrs of the war, Veer Naris and retired ex-servicemen were felicitated during the event.

Addressing the gathering, Shandil said, "The brave soldiers of the Indian have always displayed their courage and valour," he said. He said the soldiers had never shied away from sacrificing their lives for the Rashtra Dharma.

"In the Kargil war, 52 brave soldiers from Himachal Pradesh have sacrificed their lives for the country. We should always remember their sacrifice," said the minister.

He said since Independence, nearly 1,714 brave soldiers of the state had sacrificed their lives for the country. "In 1999, Pakistan had captured the peaks of Kargil. However, the brave soldiers of the Indian Army climbed thousands of feet of mountains to drive away the enemy's army and take back their land. There was a fierce war between the two countries for nearly three months and India won over Pakistan. Since then, 26 July is celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas in India," he said.

At present, there are 1,29,656 ex-servicemen, 972 Veer Naris and 38,996 widows of ex-servicemen in the state. Four soldiers from the state have been awarded gallantry awards such as Param Vir Chakra. Two soldiers were honoured with the Ashok Chakra, 11 with the Mahavir Chakra and 23 with Kirti Chakra.