Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the nation on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas calling it a victory of high morale and bravery of armed forces. Addressing the nation in Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio today, Mr Modi saluted the brave soldiers as well as their mothers. He said it was on this very day 21 years ago that the Army unfurled the flag of victory in the battle of Kargil.
Mr Modi stated that India can never forget the circumstances under which the battle of Kargil took place. He said Pakistan had embarked upon this misadventure, nursing delusions of encroaching upon the Indian soil, to distract attention from the internal strife prevailing there. It happened when India was making efforts to foster cordial relations with Pakistan but the country responded by backstabbing. He lauded the Indian Army, its valour and said the whole world witnessed the country’s might.
Mr Modi said people are reminiscing the Kargil Victory, throughout the country today. They are saluting the brave heart heroes and paying tributes to the martyrs of the battle in Kargil. He urged the youth to share the stories of the heroic deeds of the nation’s valiant warriors and their sacrifices throughout the day. He also called upon people to visit the website www.gallantryawards.gov.in. The website has an array of information on courageous warriors and tales of their valour.
Mr Modi recalled the address to the nation by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee made from Red Fort during the Kargil war. Vajpayeeji had then reminded the nation of a mantra of Mahatma Gandhi that in the face of any dilemma, one must think of the poorest and the most helpless person of the country. Mr Modi said these words are relevant even today. Going beyond Gandhi Ji’s thought, Atal ji had said that the Kargil war has given another Mantra that before taking any important decision, one must think whether the endeavor is befitting to the honour of the soldiers who laid down their lives in the remote mountains.
The Prime Minister said that in times of war, whatever people say or do has immense bearing on the morale of the soldiers. He stressed that the conduct, demeanour, speech, and statements of everyone must distinctly be conducive to enhancing the morale and honour of the soldiers. He said countrymen bound by a thread of unity, with the Mantra that the Nation is above everything else, bolster the strength of soldiers. He said that these days, battles are fought not just on borders but within the country too on many fronts simultaneously. He said every countryman has to decide his or her role in that.
PM salutes brave soldiers
