PANAJI
Air Marshal Sandesh Wagle PVSM VM (Retd.) attended the Kargil Vijay Divas celebrations " Sainik tujea Salam", organised by Ex NCC Cadets Association-Goa on Saturday at Azad Maidan Martyrs Memorial, Panaji.
Speaking on the occasion Air Marshal Wagle said joining armed forces is not just a career. "It is commitment to something higher. A soldier does not fight for money or applause.A soldier fights because someone has to stand on the Nation's frontier and say " Nothing gets past me".
Air Marshal Wagle was the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff and served as the Deputy to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat and to the present CDS, General Anil Chauhan.
Air Marshal Wagle also talked about four receipents of Param Vir Chakra living as well as posthumous during Kargil war. Speaking about Captain Vikram Batra, he remembered the quote on history, "Gadh ala pann simha gela".
He also mentioned about how sky was conquered in Operation Safed Sagar by the Indian Air force. IAF pilots he said flew deep into enemy controlled zones, while remaining over soverign Indian territory.
MP Lok Sabha Capt Viriato Fernandes shared his experiences during the action and the Navy's role in Operation Talwar during the Kargil War.
Brig Kiran Kumar Thacker, (Retd.), spoke about the difficult it was for our soldiers to win this war but he said despite all odds, the brave Indian soldiers captured all the points and won the war but lost some of our finest soldiers.
Col Balkrishna Shirodkar (Retd.) and Bosco George, IPS DIG (Retd.) and John Aguiar also addressed the gathering. Brig Anil Pereira, SM (Retd.) was prominent among those present on the occasion.
President of Ex NCC Cadets Association-Goa Pradip Sawant welcomed the gathering while Secretary Sunil Shet proposed a vote of thanks. Adv Ishan Usapkar compered the function.
Earlier a wreath laying ceremony was held where veterans and dignitaries laid wreaths at the martyrs column. Singer Bhakti Devidas and musician Roy Menezes gave a musical homage to the martyrs on the occasion.
