Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday paid tribute to soldiers who laid down their lives in the 1999 Kargil War, reaffirming the state’s commitment to serving personnel, ex-servicemen and the families of fallen heroes while urging young people to join the armed forces.Marking Kargil Vijay Diwas at the War Memorial, Mann laid a wreath, paid floral tributes to the fallen heroes and observed a two-minute silence after the sounding of the Last Post. He also met families of the fallen heroes and ex-servicemen, distributed five two-wheelers to differently abled veterans and interacted with NCC cadets and cadets of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute and Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute.

Recalling that 527 soldiers, including more than 65 from Punjab, were killed in the conflict, Mann said, “Soldiers who lay down their lives for the nation do not belong only to their families; they belong to the entire country.”Calling military service one of the noblest callings, the chief minister urged young cadets to serve the nation. “Serving the nation through the armed forces is among the noblest callings. I urge our young cadets to dedicate themselves to this great cause,” he said.Defence services welfare minister Mohinder Bhagat, senior armed forces officers, ex-servicemen and families of the fallen heroes were present at the ceremony.