Kargil Vijay Diwas: Women bike expedition accorded a warm welcome at Udhampur

Pic/PTI

An all-women motorbike expedition to Ladakh commemorating the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas received a warm welcome when the bikers were flagged in at the Udhampur-based Northern Command on July 21.

Flagged off from the National War Memorial in New Delhi on July 18, the 'Nari Sashaktikaran Women Motorcycle Rally' will end its journey at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass on July 25, a defence spokesperson told news agency PTI.

After interacting with school students in Jammu on July 20, the bikers reached Udhampur a few hours later where they were flagged in by Major General Hartej Singh Bajaj, General Officer Commanding 71 Sub Area at Udhampur on Friday, he said.

During the flagging-in ceremony, the rally members interacted with the regional president of Army Wives Welfare Association, school students, teachers, NCC cadets, 'Veer Naris' and ex-servicemen who had gathered to welcome the team members.

During the interaction, the bikers highlighted the significance of the rally and celebrations of the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta complimented the women for being the torchbearers of 'Nari Sashaktikaran' and undertaking such a challenging journey.

The rally will be flagged off by Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Northern Command here on Saturday, the spokesperson told PTI.

Before being flagged off, the bikers are scheduled to visit the Dhruva War Memorial at Udhampur where they will pay homage to the brave hearts, he added.

The motorbike expedition will cover around 1,000 km, wherein the women will traverse through the plains of Haryana, Punjab and the high mountain passes of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to reach the Kargil War Memorial in Drass.

The 25-member team includes two 'Veer Naris', one of whom is a serving officer, 10 serving women officers of the Indian Army, one woman officer each from the Air Force and Navy, three women soldiers of the Army and eight spouses of armed forces personnel, Defence PRO Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said on Thursday.

On July 26, 1999, the Indian Army announced the successful culmination of "Operation Vijay", declaring victory after a nearly three-month-long battle at the icy heights of Kargil, including high-altitude locations, such as Tololing and Tiger Hill.

(With inputs from PTI)