Kargil Vijay Diwas: PM Modi says Pakistan hasn’t learned lessons from defeat

Virendra Pandit

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited Drass (Kargil) where he said Pakistan has not learned any lessons from history and continues to wage a proxy war in the garb of terrorism to stay relevant, and warned that the evil designs of the enemy will not succeed.

His remarks came on the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas wherein he slammed Pakistan, saying it has always faced defeat in the past. The remarks assume importance given the recent surge in terror incidents in the Jammu region.

PM Modi, however, asserted that the nefarious intentions of Pakistan-sponsored terrorists will never succeed. “Our brave hearts will crush all terror attempts,” he added.

Addressing soldiers at Kargil War Memorial, he said the victory in Kargil was not the victory of any government or a party. “This victory belongs to the country, is the heritage of the country. This is a festival of pride and self-respect of the country.”

He also attended a “Shraddhanjali Sabha” and heard the “Gaurav Gatha,” briefing on the Kargil War by non-commissioned officers, and visited “Amar Sansmaran,” and the Hut of Remembrance, besides the Veer Bhoomi.

Paying glowing tributes to the soldiers, PM Modi said “The Kargil Vijay Diwas reminds us that the soldiers’ sacrifices are timeless. Memories of the lives they laid down to protect the nation’s borders cannot be erased for centuries. The nation is forever indebted and deeply grateful to the mighty superheroes of our armed forces,” he said.

Recalling the days of the Kargil War, he said he was fortunate to be amidst the soldiers back then, and that he still remembers how the soldiers carried out a difficult operation at such a height.

“I salute the brave sons of the country who made the supreme sacrifice to protect the motherland. In Kargil, we not only won the war, but we also presented an incredible example of truth, restraint, and strength,” the PM said.

India is making all efforts to maintain peace with its neighbor, but Pakistan has shown its true colors. “However, falsehood and terror were brought down to their knees by truth,” he added.

The PM also said that India will overcome all the challenges in the way of development of Ladakh, Jammu, and Kashmir.

He said the abrogation of Article 370, done on August 5, 2019, will complete five years next month, and the people in J and K are talking about a new future full of dreams. Ladakh was carved as a Union Territory out of the erstwhile state of J and K.

Citing examples of progress in Jammu and Kashmir, he mentioned holding the G20 meetings in the UT, the government’s focus on infrastructure development and tourism, the opening of cinema halls, and allowing the Shias mourning procession in the Islamic month of Muharram after three-and-a-half decades.

Underlining the developments taking place in Ladakh, the PM said through the Shinkun La Tunnel, the UT will remain connected with the country throughout the year in every season. He also witnessed the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel Project in Ladakh virtually at the event.

The Shinkun La Tunnel Project comprises a 4.1 km long Twin-Tube tunnel to be constructed at around 15,800 feet on the Nimu-Padum-Darcha Road to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh. “This tunnel will open doors of new possibilities for the development and better future of Ladakh,” he said.

The tunnel would ease their lives as they would no longer face the hardships because of the region’s extreme weather. In the last five years, Ladakh’s budget allocation has been increased six times from Rs.1,100 crore to Rs. 6,000 crore.

PM Modi India’s defense production has crossed Rs. 1.5 lakh crore. The country is making its mark as an arms exporter as well, instead of being an arms importer in the past. The armed forces have now decided to stop importing more than 5,000 weapons and military equipment.

LG of Ladakh, Brig (retd) B D Sharma, Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan, and the Chiefs of the three armed forces were present on the occasion.