Goan masterchef to cook for Jawans at Kargil on ‘Vijay Din’
PANAJI
Vijay Din is celebrated on every 26 July in memory of those 527 soldiers who laid down their lives in recapturing the Indian Territory in Kargil from Pakistan through Operation Vijay in 1999. This day is celebrated at Kargil and at Amar Jawan Jyoti, New Delhi every year. Individuals and organisations also exhibit extraordinary feats to pay tribute and homage to our martyrs and to express their gratitude towards our soldiers.
This year Goan masterchef, Sarita Chawan has bagged the opportunity to visit Kargil and cook Goan delicacies for the Indian soldiers on Vijay Din, 26 July. She is the first Goan to get this rare honour. Sarita had expressed her desire to do this and asked for the permission from the Indian army, for which she received in the first week of June and is now all set to accomplish this extraordinary, self-funded feat.
Taking the Goa-New Delhi-Leh-Kargil air route, Sarita will be leaving Goa on July 19 and after taking a three-day halt at Leh to get accustomed to the climate, she will fly to Kargil on July 25. “During my stay at Leh I will be cooking for the 300 Indian soldiers posted there. When in Kargil on July 26, I will interact with the army and cook ‘bada khana’ for approximately 900 of them,” said Sarita while interacting with the media in Panaji. Sarita will take with her 2,000 rakhees that she collected from Goan women to distribute among the soldiers at Kargil. She also intends to get their addresses and try to visit their homes across India to interact with their relatives.
“I was inspired by the patriotic feat of 17 youth from Kolhapur’s Abhimanas Foundation who covered 6,500 km from Kolhapur to Kargil by bullet to celebrate Vijay Din with the Indian army posted there,” admitted Sarita who herself hails from a family of patriots. Daughter of late freedom fighter Datta Shinde who was jailed during the freedom movement in India, Sarita has patriotism in her DNA. Having visited the family of martyr Pandurang Gawade at Canacona she feels that one should show their gratitude towards those who die for the country.
During the media briefing, a presentation on Operation Vijay at Kargil was presented by Major Renu Kumari from the Indian Army. Major Renu Kumari explained that Kargil war was fought in 1999 as Pakistan wanted to take control of Kashmir. The war took 60 days and was fought in five stages “ Operation Tiger, Operation Tololing, Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Talwar and Operation Vijay after which India recaptured our territory.
In an effort to salute the soldiers in the Indian armed forces for their bravery and sacrifices and also to pay a tribute to the Kargil war martyrs, Abhimanas Foundation has initiated ‘Salaam Kargil’ movement from 2015. “Salaam Kargil is a collective effort of expressing our appreciation, care and gratitude towards our soldiers in the Indian Army,” stated Gaurav Kolhapurkar of Abhimanas Foundation who shared his own experience.
On 15 August 2016 a musical programme, ‘Salaam Kargil’ will be held at Ravindra Bhavan in Vasco where the widow of martyr Pandurang Gawade along with captain Gore’s mother and the bravery award winner late Ashlesha Naik will be felicitated.
Sarita who has got this rare opportunity to cook for the soldiers at Kargil, is all set to go with her daughter Madhurima. “The climatic conditions there are tough but I am determined to go,” says Sarita who was involved with the initiative of Abhimanas from last year.
To spread awareness regarding Kargil Din in general public, especially youth and young students, Abhimanas Foundation has printed 3,00,000 tattoos to be distributed among school children. Out of these 1.5 lakh have already been distributed in Maharashtra. Sarita also distributed 4,000 tattoos in the schools in Goa. The distribution of remaining 1.5 lakh tattoos is on.
Abhimanas has choreographed a song ‘Salaam Kargil’ and is creating awareness through social media. Their appeal to the public is to participate in social interest programmes on Vijay Din, observe silence for two minutes, sing our national anthem and post their photos on SalaamKargil page on the Facebook. The photos and messages would be forwarded to the soldiers.
