The region paid fitting tributes to heroes who have so far sacrificed their lives for the country. Several programmes were organised by armed forces in north Bengal to pay tributes to the martyrs on the 20th Kargil Vijay Diwas, the day when Indian forces won a deserving victory in the Kargil War in Kargil district in Kashmir in the year 1999. At the War Memorial at Batasia, around 6 km from Darjeeling town, a wreath-laying ceremony was organised by the Zilla Sainik Board, where the gathering paid homage to the martyrs.

Dignitaries like Surender Gupta, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Principal Secretary, the Chief Guest, attended the event there, along with senior officials from the civil administration, PD Pradhan, the Secretary, GTA, and Col Vivek Sharma, the Commanding Officer of the 107 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army), who also happened to be the senior-most serving officer present during the function A large number of ex-servicemen from the local areas as well as those from Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik paid homage to the martyrs there.

The Indian Army later said that the “20 years of Kargil War” was celebrated by the formation and units of the Army in North Bengal and Sikkim at Sukna, Kalimpong, Gangtok, Binnaguri and Bengdubi, wherein various events like motivation lectures, interaction with Kargil War veterans and audio-visual display extolling the supreme sacrifices and the stupendous achievements by the Indian Army during Operation Vijay, were held.

Kargil War veterans addressed officers, JCOs and other ranks and their families at Binnaguri and Kalimpong, where they narrated their experiences during Operation Vijay, the name given to the Kargil operations against the enemy.

“Lieutenant General CP Mohanty, AVSM, SM, VSM, General Officer Commanding, Trishakti Corps, laid a wreath at the Sukna War Memorial with solemnity and military fanfare, along with officers, JCOs and other ranks to pay homage to the valiant brave soldiers, who gave the supreme sacrifice of laying down their lives for the nation,” the Army said in a release.

Major General RC Tiwari, SM, General Officer Commanding, Black Cat Division, laid the wreath at Sherathang War Memorial and Brigadier Pankaj Singh, VSM, Deputy General Officer Commanding, Kirpan Division, laid the wreath at Place of Remembrance at Binnaguri, Army said.