Kargil (Ladakh) [India], July 26 (ANI): The families of the soldiers who lost their lives during the Kargil War paid tributes to the war heroes on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas.

The programme, organised at Kargil's Dras town, was attended by a large number of people while families took their turns to go up to the War memorial and pay tribute to the valiant soldiers.

On the occasion of this Vijay Diwas, Union minister Sanjay Seth and Mansukh Mandaviya participated in the padyatra organised by MyBharat volunteers to honour the fallen soldiers today. Around 3,000 volunteers participated in the programme, marching to remember the soldiers.

'On the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas, more than 3,000 volunteers paid tribute with a padyatra to the brave soldiers of the country who made their supreme sacrifice for the country, their motherland. I am happy that the youth of the country, for a developed India, for expressing their respect to the martyrs are following their duty by attending the padyatra,' Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told reporters after addressing the programme.

The padyatra covered a distance of 1.5 kilometres, and commenced from the grounds of Himabass Public High School, Drass, and concluded at the grounds of Government Higher Secondary School, Bhimbet.

The padyatra also featured a plantation drive under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign.

'More than 1 crore 80 lakh youth have registered on My Bharat platform. As a symbolic gesture, three thousand young volunteers of our country, who have come from Leh, Kargil Drass and Kashmir, participated in the padyatra. All of us have paid heartiest tributes to the memory of our soldier's supreme sacrifice for the honour and glory of the country's tricolor flag,' Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs told reporters during the Kargil Vijay Diwas programme in Ladakh's district,' Mandaviya added.

Every year on July 26, India commemorates Kargil Vijay Diwas, a day etched in the nation's heart with pride and solemn remembrance. It marks the day in 1999 when India successfully concluded Operation Vijay, reclaiming the strategic heights from Pakistani intruders.

The Kargil War is a saga of strong political, military and diplomatic actions. This War will always be remembered for its strategic and tactical surprises, as well as the self-imposed national strategy of restraint in keeping the war limited to the Kargil-Siachen sectors and the swiftly executed tri-services military strategy. (ANI)