Kargil martyrs continue to remain as immortals

26 July 2009,

LUCKNOW: "Why do you want to join the army?" asked the officer during the interview. "I have come here for the Param Vir Chakra (PVC)," answered the boy. Surprised with boy's confident answer, the officer shot another question: "Do you know when PVC is given?" Prompt came the reply: "It is given when you lay down your life while fighting for the country." Few years later, the boy proved his statement true.

While narrating this incident, Gopichand Pandey could not hide the shine in his teary eyes. After all, he is the proud father of Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, who was posthumously given the Param Vir Chakra, the highest gallantry award of the country, for his exemplary valour in the Kargil war of 1999.

Ten years later, the entire nation still remembers this son of the soil and salutes his chivalry. That he belonged to Lucknow is a matter of pride for each denizen.

Veena Mishra's voice chokes as she recalls the last sentence of her son, Captain Aditya Mishra, during the Kargil war: "Ma, I will pierce the body of the enemies with my bullets but will keep the last bullet for myself. I won't be captured by the Pakistanis." She thought it was a joke but her son was too serious about his mission, his duty and about laying his life for his motherland. Veena, whose husband Colonel GS Mishra, is also in army, cannot forget the moment when she heard the news of her son's martyrdom. The world fell apart for her. "My younger son too wanted to join the army but I did not allow him to do so. However, now I regret that decision," sighs Veena.

A decade ago, on July 26, 1999, Indian soldiers defeated the Pakistani infiltrators after fighting for over 40 days at the heights of Kargil and Drass in Jammu and kashmir and in the process sacrificing their lives.

Capt Manoj Pandey, Capt Aditya Mishra, Rifleman Sunil Jung and Lance Nayak Kewal Nand Dwivedi of Lucknow fought for their country and laid down their lives to redeem its honour. They went as men and returned as heroes. At the height of 1000 feet, where it is even difficult to breathe, Indian soldiers crawled on the mountains, faced the enemy bullets and achieved the martyrdom but not before driving out the enemy.

Nayak Rajendra Kumar of Rae Bareli, Sepoy Satyendra Kumar Yadav of Kanpur, Lance Nayak Amar Bahadur Singh of Unnao and Captain Sunil Kumar Yadav of Eta were among the 70 soldiers from UP who lost their lives during Kargil war. Their families are proud of their feat but rue the void created by their departure with moist eyes.

The families of these martyrs got all the love and support from the locals, but were ignored by the bureaucrats and politicians. "I have been given all that was promised. Politicians also made several rounds of my home at the time of elections. But they only remember the soldiers on occasions like the Republic Day, Independence Day, Army Day and now Kargil Day. Thereafter, the memory fades away," lamented Gopichand Pandey.

But the heroes continue to remain in the hearts of the people as role models. Shweta Singh's face flashes with a smile when her eight-year-son Harsh says, "I want join the army and fight with the enemies. I want to become a soldier."