Earlier it was known as
Purig ~ the Suru River, a 185 kilometres (115 mi) long river, that
originates from the Panzella glacier enriches it – it is the place in news and
apt to be remembered by the entire Nation today – 26th July
2017.
Starting in 1590, the
Gyalpo of Leh extended his control over Western Tibet. Between 1640–1675, Purig
came under the control of his grandson Bde-ldan-rnam-rgyal, along with Zanskar
and other parts of the modern Ladakh Division. Centuries later, in 1822, Raja
Gulab Singh of the Dogra dynasty was anointed as the Raja of Jammu by the Sikh
emperor Ranjit Singh. In 1834, Gulab Singh sent his general Zorawar Singh
Kahluria to conquer the territory between Jammu and the Tibetan border.
Marching through Kishtwar, Zorawar Singh reached Purig and defeated the Bhotia
leader Mangal at Sankoo in August. Kartse, the then capital of Purig, fell into
Zorawar Singh's hands, who built a fort there before advancing towards Leh.
Following the First
Anglo-Sikh War and the Treaty of Amritsar (1846), Gulab Singh was made an
independent Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. The princely state of Jammu and
Kashmir, as it eventually came to be called, was organised into two large
provinces, Jammu and Kashmir, and two frontier ilaqas, Ladakh and Gilgit.
Ladakh was a wazarat (district) with a governor called wazir-e-wazarat. It had
three tehsils: Leh, Kargil and Skardu. The city of Kargil always
had a tehsil headquarters.
We have seen Cine heroes donning role of Army Jawans and applaud
them too – the Nation needs to read and know more about the real heroes
who protect the Nation. In our history books, we have read about 3 battles of
Panipat, Plassey, Arcot and more ….. the text books should have the battles of
Tololing and Kargil ! ~ on every 26th of July, I
circulate something on Kargil – (with a tinge of sadness that not all media
remembers, however this year appears different with the Prime Minister
himself and the Nation remembering Vijay Diwas)
The Simla Agreement was signed between India and Pakistan on 2
July 1972 in Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. It followed the Bangladesh
Liberation war in 1971 that led to the independence of Bangladesh, which was
earlier known as East Pakistan and was part of the territory of Pakistan. India
entered the war as an ally of Bangladesh which transformed the war into an
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The agreement was the result of resolve of both the
countries to "put an end to the conflict and confrontation that have
hitherto marred their relations". It conceived the steps to be taken for
further normalisation of mutual relations and it also laid down the principles
that should govern their future relations.
The Nation today pays homage to the jawans who sacrificed their
lives in the 1999 Kargil war against Pakistan.
“On Kargil Vijay Diwas, we remember the courage and determination
of our armed forces, who steadfastly protected our nation in 1999. Their valour
continues to inspire generations,” PM Modi tweeted. Modiji criticised Pakistan and said it
undertook the misadventure with sinister plans to capture India's land and to
divert its ongoing internal conflicts. Speaking at the 67th edition of his
monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', he said Pakistan tried to backstab in
response to India's friendly endeavours.
On this 15th August eve, I urge people take resolve to get freedom from
Coronavirus, for Aatmanirbhar Bharat, to learn and teach something new, and
abide by our duties. The prime minister
used the hashtag #CourageInKargil. Raksha
Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh visited National War Memorial today and paid
tributes to soldiers who fell in the line of duty during Kargil War.
The Battle of Tololing was one of the pivotal battles in the
Kargil War between India's armed forces and troops from the Northern Light
Infantry aided by other Pakistan backed irregulars in 1999. The Tololing is a
dominant position overlooking the Srinagar - Leh Highway (NH 1D) and was a
vital link. The Indian army's casualties on the Tololing peak were half of the
entire losses in the whole war. Much of the losses had to do with the nature of
the terrain as World War I style frontal charges had to be mounted to reclaim
the peaks to dislodge the intruders. The 3 week assault finally culminated with
India taking control of the peak and changing the course of the war. 23 Indian
Soldiers were killed in the final assault, resulting in one of the costliest
battles of the entire war.
We have National
Holidays; We celebrate important days for the Nation including The
Independence Day (Aug 15th ) Republic Day (26th Jan) – we recall the
birth and death days of important National leaders. A
day more important than most of them is … 26th July…. The
Kargil Diwas.. should be a much celebrated day
commemorating the victory in an important battle for the honour of
the Nation.
Great People – Country must remember the Names
- : Captain Anuj Nayyar, Captain Amol Kalia, Captain
Manoj Pande, Captain P.V.Vikram, Captain Vikram Batra, Deputy Commander Sukhbir
Singh Yadav, Driver-Soldier Gopinath Moharana, Flight Engineer Raj
Kishore Sahoo, Grenadiar Amardeep, Grenadiar Bajinder Singh Naik Surjeet Singh,
Naik Subedar Lal Chand, Naik Vikram Singh, Naik Yoginder Singh, Rifleman Ansuya
Prasad Dhayani, Rifleman Bachan Singh, Subedar Sumer Singh Rathore, Squadron
Leader Ajay Ahuja, Squadron Leader Rajiv Pundir, Squadron Leader Lal Singh, Squadron
Leader Ojha, Zrfn Man Singh, Kaushal Yadav – all should
feature in the history books of the school
curriculum. The illustrious list is not full only some of
those 527 heroes who sacrificed their future for protecting the honour of the
Nation….. yes these are only some of the names of Indian jawans and officers
who made the supreme sacrifice in the battle field of Kargil.
If you can't be a Soldier,
admire a Soldier. If you can't fight at the border, fight the chaos
in your neighbourhood. If you can't nurse a soldier's wound, wipe the tears of
his family members. If you can’t feed a soldier, pray he sleeps indoors
tonight. If you can’t thank him personally, thank his parents. If you can’t
help him get back, make sure his body gets home, with all due respect and much
more. If you can’t be a soldier, thank them everyday. If you can’t be a
soldier, encourage your child to be one. If you can't be a Soldier, learn to
always respect one.
Today, we remember
the martyrs of Kargil. The nation is observing the 21st anniversary of India’s
victory in Kargil war, remembering its brave martyrs who laid down their lives
to safeguard our borders from Pakistani intruders.
Jai Jawan, Jai Hind………
Saluting the Warriors
guarding us and saving our Nation….
With love for the Nation & Great respect to
Soldiers – S. Sampathkumar.
26.7.2020