DRAS (Ladakh), Aug 2: Two college students from Bengaluru pedalled for more than 60 days and 3,200 kilometres to pay respects to the martyrs at the war monument in this location on the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas, navigating through flood-affected areas during the monsoon and battling typhoid.The two set out on their journey to raise awareness of the sacrifices made by army soldiers by National Cadet Corps (NCC) units and were motivated by the bravery of Army Captain Vijayant Thapar, who died in the Kargil war.
Both Krishnan A, a Ramaiah College BBA student, and Peddi Sai Kaushik, a St. Joseph’s University BCom student, are NCC cadets who want to join the military by passing the Combined Defence Services exam.”We began the trek in May, and on July 24, two days ahead of Vijay Diwas, we arrived at the Kargil War Memorial. We needed more than two months. Although the voyage had been extremely challenging, being here felt fantastic, according to Krishnan.
They used the NH-444, the Kanyakumari-Srinagar route, in an effort to reach their destination before monsoon.
“However, Punjab was flooded when we arrived, and we believed we wouldn’t make it. Typhoid struck my riding companion while we were travelling, which caused us to lag behind for two weeks. I had an accident, so we had to stop for a while and recover. But the effort was worthwhile, he remarked.The two were overjoyed when, upon their arrival in Dras, they were recognised and handed VIP passes to the Vijay Diwas wreath-laying ceremony.
“On the first day of the year, I was reading a book on Captain Vijayant Thapar, who was killed in battle and profoundly impressed me. The Vir Chakra was given to him. I asked my family to list five additional people who had received a gallantry award. None could they think of. My buddies were equally unresponsive when I asked them.
Then, according to Sai Kaushik, “we realised that there is a need for awareness, beyond just a day or two of attention for warriors who gave their lives for our nation.”Operation Vijay, a furious counterattack led by the Indian Army, was started in 1999 to drive Pakistani forces out of strategic heights in Ladakh.
In the Drass, Kargil, and Batalik sectors of the conflict, the Indian armed forces fought in some of the most difficult terrains and adverse weather circumstances.
India celebrates Kargil Vijay Diwas to commemorate its triumph over Pakistan.
