ON KARGIL VIJAY DIWAS A TRIBUTE TO THE MARTYRS

In distant mountains of Kargil
these days tourists come and go,
Amid the harsh terrain and hill
The frosty breeze blows,
our soldiers in pursuit of the Pakis,
death they chose.

Here shrapnel shells once shrieked and burst
And took their toll of death;
The very wind, itself a foe,
poor fellows; they fell short of breath.

Above their graves the birds now sing
As round that home of yore,
When, carefree boys, they romped and played;
Those childhood days soon o'er,
The boys to brave and strong men grown,
They romped and played no more.

They put aside their childish toys,
A man's work each must do,
And when their country called for them,
To her they answered true.

"We must protect our native land:
She shall not suffer wrong
For she has reared and nurtured us,
We're men and we are strong.
We'll bid good-bye to those we love;
It will not be for long."

With aching hearts and tear-dimmed eyes
We watched them go away.
Some have returned but many sleep
In those mountains today.

Year on year since ninety nine
Vijay Diwas we say
Our soldiers-dead are not forgot
We pay tribute to them this day
.