Ex-Servicemen Mark Kargil Vijay Diwas with Tribute Event in Mysuru

The Mysore Armed Forces Ex-servicemen’s Association commemorated Kargil Vijay Diwas on Saturday with a solemn ceremony. Held annually on July 26, the event honors the sacrifices made during the 1999 Kargil War.

Members of the Association, accompanied by their families, paid floral tributes at the statue of Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa. Participants also carried placards bearing the images of Kargil martyrs such as Captain Vikram Batra, Subedar Sanjay Kumar, Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, and Flight Lieutenant Jinto Gogoi, among others.

As part of the event, a memorandum was submitted to Chamaraja MLA Harish Gowda, urging the government to provide 10% reservation in educational institutions for children of ex-servicemen. They also appealed for the resumption of land allotments for veterans—a scheme that had been discontinued over a decade ago despite promises from successive state governments.

The association expressed disappointment over their continued exclusion from Mysuru Dasara festival committees and called on the authorities to include veterans in planning and organizing roles. Additionally, they demanded free bus passes for former servicemen throughout Karnataka.