Shoppers soaked in Kargil spirit at Select City Mall

By Rohan Agarwal

New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) The spirit of Kargil overshadowed everything else at the popular Select City Mall here, with people gathering in hundreds to pay homage to the soldiers who died while recapturing strategic heights on the border from Pakistanis.

As the country celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Kargil war, Tripta Thapar, mother of Captain Vijyant Thapar, who was martyred on June 28, 1999, mingled with the crowd, recalling her son's supreme sacrifice.

"The loss for a mother or father will always be huge but I am proud of my son and his efforts during the war. I hope the citizens do not forget the sacrifice of the bravehearts who serve on the border," she said.

The management of Select City in Saket in south Delhi had dedicated Sunday evening to the families of martyrs. The persistent drizzle didn't lower the mass enthusiasm.

The shopping centre had erected a special set up at the centre showing a soldier with an Indian flag.

Emotions took over as people looked at a hand drawn picture of a weeping girl along with her mother being consoled by a military officer.

The scene was drawn on copies of letters that the martyrs of Kargil War had sent to their families from the battle front. Several youngsters took selfies using it as a backdrop.

A specially created bunker was a huge draw as the shoppers had a first hand feel of a soldier's life even though the setting in the mall was far removed from the extreme hostility faced by troops at the border.

Speaking to IANS, the Executive Director and CEO of Select City Walk, Yogeshwar Sharma, expressed his desire to continue celebrating Kargil Vijay Diwas every year on a larger scale.

"We have been trying our best to make sure that the nation remember the sacrifices of the bravehearts. However, it is essential that youths contribute towards nation building, be it by joining the armed forces or simply by working towards social welfare," Sharma said.

Special stalls put up by the Army Women Welfare Association (AWWA) sold handmade products and collected funds for families of the soldiers killed in action.

The most sought after items were rakhis, paintings and textiles.

The event, which started late due to heavy rains, saw a presentation by Daler Khalsa group and top performing students of the Army Public School were awarded with 'Inder Sharma Kargil Awards' for Academic Excellence.

The Kargil war erupted in 1999 when Pakistani soldiers as well as militants stealthily took control of several strategic heights along the border in Kashmir, leading to retaliation by the Indian military which recaptured the hills.

(Rohan Agarwal can be contacted at Rohan.a@ians.in)