Kargil Vijay Diwas 2012: 13 Years Later

Two years ago, I created this commemorative photo blog on Kargil Vijay Diwas, featuring the brave officers who won the war for India. This year, I decided to share links to recent stories (and some from the archives) about Kargil’s heroes. Rediff interview with Yogendra Singh Yadav – hero of Tiger Hill.

• 437 total awards from Kargil War (162 posthumous) – Full list of awardees
  • 4 Param Vir Chakras
  • 10 Maha Vir Chakras
  • 5 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals
  • 70 Vir Chakras
  • 15 Yudh Seva Medals
  • 1 Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry)
  • 83 Sena Medals (Gallantry)
  • 1 Sarvottam Yuddh Seva Medal
  • 106 Sena Medal (Gallantry)
  • 16 Sena Medal (Distinguished)
  • 126 Mention-in-Despatches
• Colonel (then Major) Prasad Mijar on fighting the battle of Tiger Hill and returning victorious
• Captain Saurabh Kalia’s parents continue to persevere. What do ex-Presidents Narayanan, Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil have in common? All have sent a standard reply — Your letter has been received and would be forwarded for necessary action and have taken no subsequent action — to Captain Kalia’s parents, on their campaign to highlight the Pakistani Army’s brutalities committed on the prisoners of war.
• On Dr. Rajesh Anand treating the soldiers’ injuries in the treacherous peaks of Mushkow and Tololing.
• From the Indian Army website : Kargil War Heroes (officers only)
• From the Wayback machine – 533 Indian casualties
• And let’s definitely NOT forget the corrupt politicians and military leaders from Adarsh scam who almost got away with cheating the Kargil heroes
• And the Defense Ministry is making ‘comfortable progress’ in the war memorial for Kargil

Update (Aug 15, 2012): Added link to interview with Hero of Tiger Hill (Yogendra Singh Yadav).