Kargil Vijay Diwas Celebrations in 2018

 Today, 26th July, is celebrated as the Kargil Vijay Diwas, marking the victory of Indian army in Kargil in the Kashmir and Dras region in  1999, through out the country. Among the 527 soldiers that laid their lives during this war was Major Padmapani Acharya, a Maha Vir Chakra recepient. He received the second highest military honour for his bravery in Lone Hill and the capture of Teoling peak in Kargil region. A son of a Wing Commander an airforce officer he  was thirty years of age at that time. Though from Odhisa he was  settled in Hyderabad. Today, a community Hall is constructed in his memory  and a street is named after him. When Major Acharya died his wife was six months pregnant and his daughter was born three months after his martyrdom. His daughter is now a nineteen years old girl studying law at Symbiosis University in Hyderabad. I was invited to speak about the Kargil war in this function. I spoke of the memories of partition and the four  wars that we have had with Pakistan in 1948,1965,1971 and in 1999  besides the various other skirmishes. Finally in a war both sides loose due to the loss of resources and man power. As a teacher of History now for four decades I have been also  talking  about wars both with in the country and outside it for years together in a class room  and we analyse it and speak of causes and results. Today, I saw the war at such close quarters when the war widows were felicitated. There were mothers who had lost a son, parents who had lost a child, wives who had lost their husband's and sisters who had lost a brother. A very solemn reminder that there are families that bear the brunt of this war and suffer the loss of loved ones. There were many Muslim women also who were war widows and were felicitated a  grim reminder that divisions are a creation of a minority of  people who do not think in terms of the country but caste, community, region and religion.  A very touching and poignant moment where we remember the sacrifices made by the soldiers to protect the nation in the rough terrain and high altitude Himalayan region. Thanks Kiran Uniyal for making me a part of this and getting to know so many brave women.  Indeed this was a very different and unique experience.