'Only Bharat Mata Ki Jai reverberated in the hills...' Kargil hero recalls his jawans' 'Nation first' spirit

Twenty-five years ago, the icy peaks of Kargil witnessed a saga of courage and sacrifice, as Indian soldiers fought valiantly to reclaim their territory from Pakistani intruders. Among the heroes who etched their names in the annals of history was Colonel Deepak Rampal, a Vir Chakra awardee and company commander of the 17 Jat Regiment. In this exclusive interview, Colonel Rampal takes us back to the war-torn hills of Kargil, sharing his personal account of the conflict and the bravery of his army boys.

He says, " The josh and determination of the boys were so high that we may go back only in one condition- after putting the tricolour on the target given or we will just go back rolling in the tricolour. But nowhere we will step back. We had heavy shelling, we had heavy losses. But my boys were determined and that was 'Nation First' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. That was the only call reverberating in these hills then."