The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, through its youth platform MY Bharat (Mera Yuva Bharat), will organise a Kargil Vijay Diwas Padyatra in Drass, Kargil on July 26 to mark the 26th anniversary of India’s victory in the 1999 Kargil War. The event is intended as a heartfelt tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of Indian soldiers and a powerful display of national unity and gratitude.
Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, will lead the padyatra alongside Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth. More than 1,000 participants—including youth volunteers, members of the armed forces, war veterans, families of fallen soldiers, and civil society representatives—are expected to take part in the tribute walk.
The 1.5-kilometre padyatra will begin in the morning from Himabass Public High School and conclude at Government Higher Secondary School in Bhimbet. Following the walk, the ministers and a contingent of 100 youth volunteers will proceed to the Kargil War Memorial to lay wreaths and honour the memory of the soldiers who gave their lives in the conflict.
As part of the event, 26 women bikers from the Shakti Udgosh Foundation will be felicitated upon their arrival at the War Memorial. The bikers are completing a long-distance rally in tribute to the Kargil martyrs, adding a powerful dimension to the commemorative activities.
The padyatra will also include a tree plantation drive under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign. This symbolic gesture combines patriotic homage with environmental consciousness, reflecting the government’s larger commitment to sustainability under the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
In the lead-up to the event, MY Bharat has been actively engaging young people and local communities through a series of activities such as essay competitions, painting, elocution, and Yuva Samvads (youth dialogues). These initiatives are designed to foster civic awareness, highlight stories of courage from the Kargil War, and deepen the emotional bond between the youth and the armed forces.
The Kargil Vijay Diwas Padyatra is part of the broader Viksit Bharat Padyatras campaign, aimed at promoting national pride, youth participation, and the spirit of collective remembrance. In line with the PM vision of Jan Bhagidari in Rashtranirman, the initiative seeks to involve every citizen—especially the youth—in the shared mission of nation-building and preserving the legacy of service and sacrifice.
