President Ram Nath Kovind`s visit on Monday to the Drass town in Ladakh to pay homage to the indomitable courage and sacrifice of the Indian Armed Forces during the 1999 Kargil war with Pakistan was cancelled due to bad weather. The President had to fly to Dras from Srinagar in the morning but bad weather prevented him from proceeding there.

The President, who was scheduled to lay a wreath at the Dras War Memorial, instead, paid homage at the War Memorial in Baramulla that is near the Line of Control (LOC) in north Kashmir.

A tweet by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said; “On Kargil Vijay Diwas, President Kovind laid a wreath at the Dagger War Memorial, Baramulla, Jammu & Kashmir, to pay tributes to all soldiers who sacrificed their lives in defending the nation”.

In a message at the Dagger War Memorial at Baramulla, President Kovind paid tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives defending the nation with indomitable courage and valour.

This is not the first time that bad weather has prevented the President from visiting Dras. In 2019 also due to bad weather, the President could not visit there to participate in the Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Later, President Kovind visited the High Altitude Warfare School, Gulmarg, which is one of the most premier institutions in the field of warfare and wrote a message appreciating and encouraging soldiers who defend our borders.

He interacted with officers and jawans of the Chinar Corps and High Altitude Warfare School. J&K’s Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha accompanied the President.

President Kovind arrived in Srinagar on Sunday on a four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

In the absence of President Kovind, the solemn ceremony to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas at the Kargil War Memorial, Dras was held with RK Mathur, Lt Governor as the chief guest who laid a wreath and paid tributes to the fallen soldiers in a ceremony held at Kargil War Memorial symbolising ‘Shradhanjali’ from the entire Nation to the Bravehearts.

This year’s Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations were unique in two ways as the Kargil Vijay Diwas coincided with the ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh Victory Flame’ reaching the Kargil War Memorial. The Journey of the Victory Flame across the country commemorates 50 years of triumph in the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

At the Kargil War Memorial, the proceedings commenced with the reception of the ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh Victory Flame’ by General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff in the presence of Lt General YK Joshi, GOC-in-C Northern Command, Lt General PGK Menon, GOC 14 Corps, Lt General DP Pandey, GOC 15 Corps and Lt General  MV Suchindra Kumar, GOC 16 Corps, other officers, gallantry awardees, Veer Naris, next of kins of martyrs and civil dignitaries. It was followed by a solemn Wreath Laying Ceremony by esteemed civil and military dignitaries.

The gallantry awardees of the Kargil War, next of kin of bravehearts, and veer naris also paid their tributes to the fallen heroes with tearful nostalgia. Every year on this day, the nation pays homage to the supreme sacrifices made by our Bravehearts during Operation VIJAY in the Kargil War of 1999.

On the occasion of 22nd Kargil Vijay Diwas, Indian Army Poonch Brigade organised “Run for Unity” in which approx 300 participants including youth from villages along the LOC participated.