Hyderabad: Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma on Saturday led the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas commemoration at Raj Bhavan, paying tribute to India’s 1999 war heroes and unveiling a portrait of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Organised jointly with the Telangana and Andhra Sub Area (TASA) Command, the event marked India’s victory in Operation Vijay. The Governor laid floral tributes to Vajpayee, hailing his leadership during the conflict.
“Our freedom today breathes because they gave their blood freely, fearlessly, and with faith,” he said, invoking the memory of Captain Vikram Batra and 526 martyrs of the Kargil War. He quoted the Kohima War Cemetery inscription: “When you go home, tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow, we gave our today.”
The Governor urged citizens to emulate the values of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Swami Vivekananda, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. A dramatic Armed Forces presentation depicted a soldier’s journey from training to frontline combat, drawing emotional responses from families of the fallen.
Distinguished attendees included Air Chief Marshals (Retd.) N.A.K. Browne and V.R. Chaudhari, Principal Secretary to the Governor Dana Kishore, Maj. Gen. Ajay Mishra (GOC, TASA), Maj. Gen. R.D. Sharma (GOC, 54 Division), and Air Vice Marshal P.S. Wadodkar.
Kargil veterans, serving officers, Veer Naris and their families also attended. The Governor felicitated them for their service and sacrifice.
The ceremony closed with a collective reaffirmation to uphold unity, courage, and patriotism.
