In the midst of ongoing tensions with Pakistan, India will celebrate the 20th anniversary of victory in the Kargil War with a series of events in July.

The events will be held across the country to commemorate the victory in ‘Operation Vijay’. The theme of the celebrations will be ‘Remember, Rejoice and Renew’, the Defence Ministry said on Friday.

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The main celebrations will be spread over three days from 25-27 July and will be organised at Dras in Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi. As part of the build-up to the main event, numerous activities are planned all over the country with effect from the first week of July.

The events being organised, include expeditions by the units, which participated in the Kargil War, to their respective battlefields at super high-altitude locations such as Tololing, Tiger Hill and Point 4875, to name a few.

A ‘Wreath Memorial Ceremony’ will be organised at the ‘Kargil War Memorial’ in Dras on 26 July, the ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’, to honour the bravehearts who laid down their lives during ‘Operation VIJAY’.

The celebrations in the national capital will begin on 14 July, with the illumination of a Victory Flame from the National War Memorial, New Delhi, which would traverse through eleven towns and cities, to finally culminate at Dras wherein the flame will be merged with the eternal flame at the ‘Kargil War Memorial’. The torch relay team will conduct educational and patriotic talks and interact with prominent personalities and students in various educational institutes.

A ‘Commemoration Ceremony’ will be organised at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, where a panel discussion with war veterans and serving officers will be conducted. The event will be followed by ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas Evening’ a cultural extravaganza, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on 27 July.

The events and programmes spread over July will include a Special National Integration Camp, for the NCC cadets hailing from various states and union territories. This unique event will last 12 days at Leh. Essay and drawing competitions are being organised for the school children all across the Ladakh region with topics related to the event being celebrated.

”The objective of these celebrations is to evoke the feeling of nationalism and patriotism through nation-wide campaigns especially amongst youth and to pay homage to the valiant soldiers. The events are planned to highlight the stories of valour by our brave soldiers and rekindle the pride among the youth of the country, inspiring those who were too young and those who were not yet born, to form part of the nation’s resolve,” the Defence Ministry added.