She ran from Srinagar to the Kargil War Memorial in Drass sector. Her husband is an Army officer in Kashmir.
Every year on July 26, India celebrates Kargil Vijay Diwas, which marks a significant moment in India's history -- the victory over Pakistan in the 1999 Kargil War. Operation Vijay continued from May 8 to July 26, 1999. To mark the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas 2024, an ex-Army woman officer ran 160 km from Srinagar to the Kargil War Memorial in Drass sector.
1. Meet Lt Colonel Barsha Rai (Retd)
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The former woman army officer has completed a 160-km run from Srinagar to Drass to mark the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas. She completed the run in four days. “I ran to honour our brave hearts who sacrificed their lives for the nation,” she told PTI.
2. Who is she?
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Lt Col Barsha Rai was commissioned into the Army Service Corps in March 2010 from the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. She was awarded the Garhwal Medal (gold medal in academics) at the academy. Lt Col Rai's husband is an army officer in Kashmir.
3. Fourth-generation army officer
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She is a fourth-generation army officer. Her great-grandfather was a Military Cross recipient. “I was in class 7 when the Kargil war started and my father Colonel Keshab Rai, who retired 10 years ago, had then moved out overnight (to the border) along with his entire unit," she said.
4. 40 km per day in 4 days
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She ran around 40 km per day. After starting from Srinagar, she moved to Wusan on Day 2, running to Sonamarg at an altitude of 9,000 feet. Day 3 saw her surmount the 11649 feet high Zojila Pass on the Srinagar-Leh national highway, connecting the Kashmir valley with the Ladakh region, to reach Matayen, before reaching the memorial at Drass on Day 4.
5. Her run begins on July 19
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She began her run on July 19 and ended on July 22. She was accompanied in stretches by the Chinar Warriors marathon team.
6. Kargil war memorial
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On completion of the run on July 22, she paid tributes to martyrs at the Kargil war memorial. "This run was not just a personal journey for me, but a tribute to the indomitable spirit of the soldiers who fought valiantly during the Kargil war,” she said.
7. Why did she run?
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Lt Col Rai said, "Through this run, my aim was to raise awareness about the sacrifices made by our soldiers.”
8. Active on social media
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Lt Col Rai often shares pictures from her life on Instagram where she has 22.1K followers.
