Kargil Vijay Diwas observed

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 26. Kargil Vijay Diwas was observed in the city today with solemn functions and ceremonies to perpetuate the memory of the jawans who laid down their lives during the Kargil operation to flush out Pakistani infiltrators in 1999.

A function was held at the war memorial at the Pangode Military Centre to pay homage to the martyred soldiers. The Governor, Mr. Sukhdev Singh Kang, and the Chief Minister, Mr. A.K. Antony laid wreaths and lit lamps at the memorial. The ceremony commenced with the Station Commander, Brigadier S.N. Handa, laying a wreath.

The Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command, Air Marshal Manjit S. Sekhon, Lt. Gen S.K. Pillai (Retd.), Lt. Cdr. Vivek Miranda of the Navy and Wing Cdr. A.S. Yadav of the Air Force also laid wreaths. This was followed by a flypast of an Mi- 8 helicopter of the Indian Air Force.

Contingents of the Army, Air Force and Navy were in attendance to pay homage to the martyred jawans. The buglers played the Last Post. The Governor and the Chief Minister were accompanied by Mrs. Ranbir Kaur and Mrs. Elizabeth Antony.

The next of kin of the martyred soldiers Captain Jerry Prem Raj, Captain Vikram, Gunner Shiju Kumar, Naik Ajit Kumar, Lance Naik Simon, Havildar Shiv Kumar, Subedar Major Nalinakshan and Naik V.N. Radhakrishnan were present on the occasion. Senior civil and defence officers including the Chief Secretary, Mr. V. Krishnamoorthy, the GAD Secretary, Ms. Lizy Jacob, and Air Vice Marshal P.A. Hari Mohan also attended the function.

The Governor and the Chief Minister later attended a reception hosted by Brigadier S.N. Handa in honour of the war widows. The Vijay Diwas programmes concluded with the lighting of lamp at the Southern Air Command headquarters, Akkulam and the Pangode Military Centre.

In a separate function, NCC cadets offered floral tributes at the Martyrs' Column, Palayam to mark Vijay Diwas. The Minister for SC/ST Welfare, Mr. M.A. Kuttappan, was present. War veterans organised another function at the war memorial, Palayam.

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