'Yeh Dil Maange More': Captain Vikram Batra's War Cry Echoes Across Kargil as Nation Salutes Its Bravehearts
DRAS (LADAKH)/SHIMLA, JULY 26: Twenty-seven years after the guns fell silent in the Kargil conflict, the immortal war cry of Param Vir Chakra awardee Captain Vikram Batra — "Yeh Dil Maange More" — once again reverberated through the rugged heights of Dras, the world's highest battlefield, as the nation paid homage to the soldiers who laid down their lives during the 1999 Kargil War.
Leading the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorations at the Kargil War Memorial, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh invoked Captain Batra's iconic words not merely as a slogan of battlefield courage but as a call for India's continued march towards self-reliance in defence and national security.
Standing before the memorial where the names of fallen heroes are etched in stone, Rajnath Singh said the spirit of "Yeh Dil Maange More" now inspires India's quest to manufacture more advanced weapons, fighter aircraft, submarines and missile systems within the country under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
Paying glowing tributes to the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice during Operation Vijay, the Defence Minister said Kargil Vijay Diwas is not merely a celebration of military victory but a reminder that sacrifice and service remain the foundation of a strong nation.
He remembered Captain Vikram Batra, Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey and countless other bravehearts whose courage continues to inspire generations of Indians.
In a strong message to Pakistan, Rajnath Singh said the success of Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's ability to respond decisively to every hostile act.
He asserted that India no longer distinguishes between terrorists and the governments that shelter them, accusing Pakistan of making terrorism an instrument of state policy.
Declaring that there would be no dialogue with Pakistan except on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which he described as an integral part of India under illegal occupation, the Defence Minister said any attempt to challenge India's sovereignty would invite a fitting response from the armed forces.
Drawing a sharp contrast between the two neighbours, Rajnath Singh remarked that while India is designing semiconductors, building startups, launching satellites and connecting the world through digital innovation, Pakistan continues to promote infiltration, radicalisation and terrorism. "India is exploring new avenues of innovation, while Pakistan is seeking new routes for infiltration," he said.
The Defence Minister also highlighted the transformation in India's defence manufacturing capabilities, stating that the country now produces nearly 65 per cent of its defence equipment domestically, compared to importing nearly 70 per cent a decade ago.
He cited indigenous platforms such as INS Vikrant, Tejas fighter aircraft, Prachand helicopters, Akash missile systems, Pinaka rocket launchers, Arjun tanks and advanced drone technologies as examples of India's growing military strength.
Earlier, Rajnath Singh laid a wreath at the Cenotaph, observed a two-minute silence and paid homage to the heroes of Operation Vijay. He inaugurated a Virtual Walkthrough Portal of the Kargil War Memorial, visited the Hut of Remembrance and flagged in the "Shaurya Vijay Yatra", a motorcycle expedition organised to commemorate Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena, Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth, senior military commanders, Kargil War veterans, gallantry award winners, Veer Naris and families of martyrs joined the nation in remembering the extraordinary courage displayed by Indian soldiers in reclaiming the icy heights of Kargil.
As bugles sounded and wreaths were laid beneath the towering peaks of Dras, Captain Vikram Batra's unforgettable words—"Yeh Dil Maange More"—once again echoed through the mountains, reminding the nation that the spirit of Kargil lives on in every soldier guarding India's frontiers and in every citizen committed to building a stronger, secure and self-reliant India.
