Tribute paid to immortal martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas, families of martyrs and Veer Naris honored

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak and Minister A.K. Sharma attend the ceremony at Kargil Shaheed Smriti Vatika

Lucknow: On the occasion of the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas, Lucknow Municipal Corporation organized a dignified ceremony at Kargil Shaheed Smriti Vatika to pay tribute to the immortal martyrs of the Kargil War and to honour the families of martyrs, Veer Matas and Veer Naris.  

The event was chaired by Mayor Sushma Kharakwal. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak attended as Chief Guest, and Minister for Urban Development, Energy and Additional Energy Sources A.K. Sharma attended as Guest of Honour.

The ceremony was also attended by MLA Dr. Neeraj Bora, MLCs Ramchandra Pradhan, Pawan Singh Chauhan and Santosh Singh, former MLC Arvind Tripathi 'Guddu', Deputy Leader of the Council and Vice Chairman Executive Committee  Sushil Tiwari 'Pammi', Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Sahkari Gram Vikas Bank Ltd. Dr. Vivek Singh Tomar, Executive Committee Members  Arun Rai, Sandeep Sharma, Sanjay Singh Rathore, Vinod Yadav and Rajeev Bajpai, Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Kumar, all Corporators, ex-servicemen, Veer Matas, Veer Naris and families of martyrs, who paid heartfelt tribute to the immortal sons of Mother India.

Floral tributes to martyrs, campus resonated with patriotic cultural performances

The program began with the dignitaries laying wreaths and floral tributes at the statues of the immortal martyrs of Kargil. Thereafter, all guests saluted the indomitable courage, valour and patriotism of the brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.

Students from various schools presented patriotic cultural performances. Municipal Girls Inter College, Kashmiri Mohalla presented "Vande Mataram", Modern Montessori School, Model House presented "Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon", Modern Montessori School, Kashmiri Mohalla presented "Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki", and Aminabad Inter College presented "Chattanon Se Lado, Aage Badho". These performances deeply moved the audience with feelings of patriotism.

Mayor called the sacrifice of martyrs the pride of the nation

In her welcome address, Mayor Sushma Kharakwal said that Kargil Vijay Diwas is not just a date, but a symbol of India’s pride, valour, sacrifice and indomitable courage. She said that as an Indian and as someone from a military family, she salutes the immortal brave sons. She added that Lucknow’s soil has also given many brave sons to the country, and honouring martyr families, Veer Matas and Veer Naris is our privilege.  

She urged the youth to keep national interest paramount and build the India of the martyrs’ dreams. The Mayor said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country’s security apparatus and the morale of soldiers have been strengthened like never before. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh has been given a new direction in good governance, security and patriotism. She also noted that due to the efforts of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BrahMos missiles are now being manufactured in Lucknow, which is a matter of pride for both the city and the state.

Families of martyrs including Param Vir Chakra awardee honoured

On this occasion, families of martyrs, Veer Matas and Veer Naris were felicitated with shawls and mementos. This included the families of Kargil War Param Vir Chakra awardee immortal martyr Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, Lance Naik Kewalanand Dwivedi and Rifleman Sunil Jung.  

Families of other martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation — Rajveer Singh, Mukesh Chandra Sharma, Arun Kumar Tripathi, Harshvardhan Singh Bisht,  Ramanand Singh, Bhupendra Mehra, Shashikant Yadav, Narendra Tiwari and others — along with Veer Matas and Veer Naris were also honoured with shawls and mementos.

Minister A.K. Sharma urged citizens to remain alert against anti-national forces
In his address, Minister  A.K. Sharma said that Kargil Vijay Diwas symbolizes the indomitable courage, valour and patriotism of our brave soldiers. Paying tribute to all immortal martyrs of Kargil, he expressed gratitude to their families and to ex-servicemen.  
He said that battles like Kargil are not fought only at the borders. Today, the country also faces many internal challenges. Citizens must remain vigilant against terrorists, anti-national elements hiding in disguise, and forces that spread confusion in society. In the age of social media, misleading and false information spreads rapidly. It is therefore the duty of every citizen to verify the authenticity of any information before believing it, and to not become part of any propaganda against the unity and integrity of the country.  

The Minister directed officials to ensure priority and immediate resolution of grievances related to soldiers and martyr families, so that families who have sacrificed everything for the nation do not face any inconvenience.

Deputy CM appreciated Mayor’s initiative, sent message of respect for soldier families  
Chief Guest Deputy Chief Minister Shri Brajesh Pathak paid tribute to the brave martyrs of Kargil and remembered former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He recalled that during the Kargil War, Atal ji himself went to the border areas to boost the morale of soldiers.  
Appreciating Mayor Sushma Kharakwal, the Deputy CM said that the dignified manner in which Veeranganas and martyr families were honoured today is highly commendable. Such events further strengthen the spirit of patriotism and respect for martyrs in society.

Program concluded with the National AnthemAll public representatives, ex-servicemen and citizens present paid tribute to the immortal martyrs of Kargil and took a pledge to remain forever committed to the unity, integrity and security of the nation.  

At the end, Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Kumar expressed gratitude to all guests, public representatives, ex-servicemen, martyr families, Veer Matas, Veer Naris and citizens present. The program concluded solemnly with the singing of the National Anthem.