Kargil Vijay Diwas – 2023

When Men of Valour and Commitment Secure Our Nation’s Boundaries, 

We Sleep in Peace.

In the summer of 1999, on the coldest peaks of Kargil, the nation’s brave sons fought relentlessly to safeguard their nation’s integrity while putting up a tough fight against the Pakistani troops. In this journey, many were martyred, many were injured but none gave up.

The NCC Collective at The Bhawanipur Education Society College organised a two-day event to honour these bravehearts. On the 26th of July 2023, the cadets paid tribute to the martyrs through a patriotic song and a self-composed poem, followed by laying a wreath-laying ceremony, led by our senior cadets and Dean Sir. This was followed by an inter-wing Debate competition. The Eagle Squadron, represented by the Air Wing cadets, and the Cheetah Squadron, represented by the Army Wing cadets were judged by the Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Dilip Shah, and NCC officer Ms. Aritrica Dubey, who later chose the Best Speaker, followed by the 1st and 2nd runners up. The Debate was followed by an open quiz wherein questions were thrown to an open audience of NCC cadets. The events for the day concluded with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd positions being awarded as per the number of questions answered correctly.

 

The cultural events followed by an interactive session with Kargil War Veteran was scheduled for the 28th of July 2023. The guest of Honour, Kargil War veteran, Captain Akhilesh Saxena, and his lady, Mrs. Shikha Akhilesh Saxena, an author, Founder, and CEO of Inspiring Mantras, as the Chief Guests for the event. We were also graced by the presence of Commanding Officer No. 1 Bengal Air Sqn NCC, Wing Commander S. Selva Kumar, and staff from the Army and Naval Units associated with BESC NCC. The event commenced with an opening speech by Prof. Dilip Shah, who spoke about the grit of soldiers during the Kargil War, followed by the lighting of the lamp. The Chief Guests were introduced with an introductory video on the struggles of Captain Akhilesh Saxena during his life-threatening battles at Kargil, followed by the Chief Guests themselves sharing their stories. As Captain Akhilesh Saxena spoke of how he was attacked in the war, he also discussed his immediate reaction followed by his plan to move forward in the management sector. We also witnessed the emotional plight of Mrs. Shikha Akhilesh Saxena as she spoke of fighting her own battles back home, waiting for her husband to return. This emotional session was followed by the unveiling of the book titled Nation First by Dean, the book has a detailed account of the Kargil War’99 and the pride and pain that a soldier and his family experience while he is away, fighting in a war zone, unaware of what future awaits him.

 

The cultural program began with an opening dance, led by SGT Gabriela Arya Gupta, bringing to life a soldier’s story, and dedicating the performance to those who never came back home. A patriotic duet by Cdt Prince Mishra and CPL P. Pavithra followed the opening performance, setting the tone of the day. A very informative documentary detailing the attacks of the Indian Armed Forces – Op Vijay, Op Safeed Sagar, Op Talvar that was launched upon Pakistan during the war, was presented next. Followed by another melodious treat with a group song by Cdt Alish Tamang, CPL P. Pavithra, and SGT Sanghamitra Banerjee that captivated the audience and a special performance by Cdt Srijan Pyne who played the mouth organ, receiving accolades for the uniqueness of his performance.  The dancers again set the stage ablaze with an energetic performance showcasing India’s indomitable spirit. To mark the end of the cultural program, Cdt Prince Mishra recited his heart out through a self-composed poem on “Pain and Pride”. After the participants were applauded for their efforts, Dean Sir addressed the audience again, giving them a mission to plant trees to save the Earth, an initiative that truly portrayed the institution’s ideals.

The event came to an end with the felicitation for winners of competitions held on the 26th of July. Cdt/SGT Aditi A Sanjay was awarded the Best Speaker for the debate, followed by Cdt Twinkle Jain and Cdt Sanyam Agarwal as the first and second runners, respectively. LCPL Aditya Singh was awarded as the Winner of the quiz competition, followed by Cdt Aarav Tulsyan and Cdt Sneha Pandey as the 1st and 2nd runners, respectively. All the winners were felicitated with signed copies of Nation First, handed over to them by the author, Mrs Shikha Akhilesh Saxena along with medals and certificates.

Each attendee left with a heart filled with HIGH JOSH and a pledge to hold high the tricolour of the nation.

 

JAI HIND

– Aritrica Dubey

NCC Coordinator