On the occasion of the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas today, a function was held at Manoj Vihar, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad in which children of Bharat Ram Global School participated.

The school was represented by 30 children and teachers including the Principal Raveen Pande while from Manoj Vihar, there was a large number of residents and several ex-servicemen, including two Kargil veterans, Air Vice Marshal Pravesh Kumar (Retd.) and Brigadier Vyomkesh Dwivedi (Retd.).

While Air Vice Marshal Kumar coordinated all the air transport effort (IL 76 and AN 32) used during the Kargil operations from Western Air Command Headquarters, Brigadier Dwivedi’s Engineer Company built a 27-kilometre-long animal transport track from Mashkoh to Pt 4875.

The event started with Col. (Dr.) V.C. Goel (Retd.) President of Manoj Vihar Society welcoming the guests and the school children. Following this a video clip was shown to the audience which depicted the area where the Kargil War took place.

To make the children aware of the brave hearts who laid their lives for the nation’s defence and security, they were shown a short film on Capt. Manoj Pandey who received Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his courage and leadership.

Taking the audience into further past, Col. Goel narrated the story of the courageous Major Shaitan Singh who along his men of 13 Kumaon fought bravely against the invading Chinese in 1962 at Rezang La.

Keeping up the tempo, Air Vice Marshal Pravesh Kumar, shared how Indian Air Force supported the Army in its operation against the intruders in Kargil by bombing the Pakistani bunkers and facilitating recapture of the occupied posts.

On their part the children narrated the deeds of valour of Kargil martyrs including Captain Vikram Batra who received PVC posthumously. Two students who had made sketches of Capt. Manoj Pandey presented them to the two Kargil veterans.

All those who were present at the event paid floral tributes to the Kargil Martyrs.