Bengaluru (Aryavarth): On Sunday, the Eastern Army Commander, Lieutenant General R P Kalita, initiated a historic bike expedition named ‘Kargil Vijay Ride’ in Kohima. This expedition is one of the first-ever motorcycle expeditions from Kohima to Kargil (K2K), led by the 2nd Naga Regiment. This brave journey is intended to commemorate the onset of 25 years of Operation Vijay, in which courageous Naga warriors made significant sacrifices to protect the territorial integrity of India.
The Eastern Army Commander, while addressing the assembly at the Assam Rifles garrison, emphasized that the Naga warriors had valiantly fought and triumphed in the Kargil War, enriching the soil of India’s northern borders with their blood. The expedition, he added, is a grand tribute to celebrate the supreme sacrifices and bravery of these valiant martyrs.
The bikers’ expedition, led by Lieutenant Colonel Saini, is composed of 25 valiant Mashkoh (2nd Naga Regiment) warriors who will travel more than 3,700 kilometers from Kohima to Kargil. This arduous journey crosses through eight states and two union territories. A poignant part of this expedition is the task of collecting soil from the villages of fallen Kargil War heroes, to be taken as a tribute to the Kargil War Memorial in Drass.
Throughout the journey to Kargil, the team will also interact with all sections of society, highlighting the crucial role of the Indian Army in nation-building, motivating youth, and addressing the grievances of ex-servicemen and Veer Naris, as stated by Lieutenant General Kalita, who is also the Colonel of the Kumaon, Naga Regiments, and Kumaon Scouts.
Lt Gen Kalita emphasized the expedition as an effort to bridge the North Eastern region with the rest of the nation, while promoting awareness about the brave soldiers of Nagaland who participated in the Kargil war. At the flag-off ceremony, the GoC-in-C also honored the brave martyrs of the Kargil War by paying homage to their supreme sacrifice, and handed over the battlefield’s soil to the martyrs’ next of kin.
