Border guarding forces to undertake week-long events to mark Kargil Vijay Diwas

New Delhi: To mark 'Kargil Vijay Diwas', border guarding forces like the ITBP and the BSF Saturday launched a special series of programmes that will showcase the tales of bravery of soldiers as well as police and paramilitary personnel.

The Union Home Ministry, which controls these forces including the SSB and the Assam Rifles, has directed that the celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the victory in Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir will be undertaken for a week, all along the formations of these forces.

These forces will hold cultural events, honour family members of those army troops who were killed during the war code-named 'Operation Vijay', organise blood donation and health checkup camps, hold motivational lectures and conduct educational tour of the Kargil area for school children, a senior official said.

These events will continue till July 27, he said.

"The central armed police forces that guard the borders will felicitate Kargil war heros' families and celebrate 'Kargil Vijay Diwas' with army field formations," Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) spokesperson Vivek Pandey said.

He said the force, tasked to guard the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, will organise special shows to run a seven-minute movie prepared by the Defence Ministry on the victory in Kargil.

Photo galleries will also be setup to tell about the bravery of those who laid down their lives in the line of duty, Pandey said.

"The Border Security Force will make an endeavour to reach out to frontier population and make them aware of contributions of armed forces in national security and nation building," a BSF spokesman said.

He said the force, tasked to guard sensitive Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, will organise a weapons display event and camel safari for the youth so that they can be inspired to join these forces and serve the country.

The BSF will also showcase its role during the Kargil war, he said.

The 'Kargil war' was declared over on July 26, 1999, after Indian soldiers pushed back the Pakistani troops, a bulk of them drawn from the neighbouring country's Northern Light Infantry, from the captured peaks.

The day is observed as 'Kargil Vijay Diwas' to commemorate India's victory.

Defence forces of the army, air force and navy are also holding similar events.