Kargil by Neil Daswani

In grateful memory of the 559 gallant brave hearts and the troops that won the Kargil War
on Aug 01, 2022

Kargil

City of Kargil
hidden in the hills
between the Leh
and Balistan tehsils
hot summer days
yet, nights get chill
high above the Suru valley
where the river flows

the summer of 1999
an act of war, treachery
our enemy breached the line
they crept across the LoC

hidden high in the hills
where from this vantage
they fired on our men
all hell broke loose
a ceaseless carnage
slowly, tightening the noose

but … inch by inch
our brave jawans fought back
crawling up the hilly track
to regain the ground
that had been lost
their claw back was steady
… but what a heavy cost

their only mission
being to oust the foe
fear was one thing
they did not know

so many fell
along the way
others lived to tell
us of that July day when
jet fighters and brave men
routed our rivals
who began to flee
victory then took its final stride
as we reclaimed the mountain side

-Neil Daswani