Kargil Vijay Diwas: Proud to have sung for our jawans, say musicians

Kailash Kher

I have performed for our Army officers many times, but performing in Kargil (Ladakh) on Kargil Vijay Diwas in 2017 felt very special. My band and I heard so many stories of their bravery, it felt surreal. There was a young officer who told me he was a huge fan of my song Teri Deewani. He was posted at Tiger Hill (a mountain in the Drass-Kargil area of Ladakh) back then, so he would listen to the lines, ‘Ishq Junoon Jab Hadd Se Badh Jaaye’ every time he would walk towards it. I felt so emotional when I heard that. There were close to 5,000 Army officers and their family members at the concert. It’s one of my most memorable shows. I felt so proud to be blessed with a talent that could help me make our jawans happy. Uss din aisa laga ki jeevan saarthak ho raha hai.

Ricky Kej

I performed at the Sonam Wangchuk Stadium in Leh (Ladakh) in 2019 to celebrate 20 years of the Kargil Vijay Diwas. There were around 12,000 Army soldiers there, all in uniform. It was the greatest experience of my life. The energy was electrifying. After the performance, Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, who was the head of the Northern Command, honoured me with a memento and I had tears in my eyes. We had performed free of cost, as getting a chance to do something for our Army felt like an honour. I performed songs about Nature, environment, sustainability, Indian culture and farmers. We also performed our songs on the river Ganga, Vasudhev Kutumbakam and Shine Your Light. After the performance, I stayed at the venue for two hours, meeting people, clicking pictures and signing autographs. I heard so many stories of the Kargil war and some of them were so heartbreaking.

Shibani Kashyap

Being an Army officer’s daughter, performing for the Army is in my blood. I performed for the Kargil warriors in 2016, with one show in in Kargil and another in Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir). During the shows, the energy was amazing. I remember when I sang Suno Gaur Se Duniya Waalon and Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon, the soldiers had tears in their eyes. I cried too. It was an emotional and unforgettable moment. Since I come from the Army background, I became like a family member to them in no time. Close to 600 jawans attended each show. I didn’t charge any fee for the performance, as that was the least I could can do for our brave warriors.

DJ Sheizwood

I performed at an event dedicated to the Kargil warriors in Chandigarh in 2009. It was attended by over 500 jawans and their families. Seeing so many people in uniform swelled my heart with pride. I can’t describe that feeling. It was a high-octane act and I performed a mix of patriotic and Bollywood songs. I remember a mother came to me and asked me to sing Vande Mataram. I felt honoured that she came to me with a dedication for her son, who was in the Army. Seeing our jawans singing and dancing to my songs felt amazing.