The army’s Special Forces teams had carried out the strikes on terrorist camps in PoK on September 28 and 29, 2016

NEW DELHI: As next year’s elections approach, the government will carry out a mega celebration focused on the second anniversary of the surgical strikes, which was conducted by the Indian Army on terrorist launch pads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in 2016. A three-day public exhibition is being planned for this day, entailing a ‘selfie wall’, showing representative videos and a portion of the original footage of the strikes and stalls displaying equipment of the three defence services.

While last year no public celebrations on the surgical strikes were held, this will be the first time that the government is going big on the operation not only in the national capital, but across India as well. The defence ministry will be conducting the event with the army, air force and navy being represented. Sources explained that the message to be portrayed through the event is the capabilities of the Indian Army to go across the borders and strike at will. More importantly, the government at major forums has announced the strikes as a major achievement during its tenure.

Called ‘Marking the Second Anniversary of the Surgical Strikes’, the three day event from September 28 to 30 will have an overall theme of ‘valour’ of the armed forces with the focus being on the strikes. On September 28, an exhibition will be setup at the India Gate lawns, consisting of the selfie wall and video wall. Sources explained that the representative videos from documentaries on the strikes and a part of the actual footage released by the government in June will be shown. The eight minute long footage shows the identification and surveillance of four targets in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and later gun assaults on military installations, barrack like structures and in some scenes what appear to be armed personnel.

The army’s Special Forces teams had carried out the strikes on terrorist camps in PoK on September 28 and 29, 2016, 10 days after four Pakistani terrorists attacked an army unit’s administrative base in Uri, killing 18 soldiers.

The exhibition’s opening is likely to be done by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on September 28. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to attend the event. A coordination meeting on the matter involving the top brass of the three services was held on Wednesday.

“The three services will be represented. They will show their equipment and captured enemy equipment will also be displayed. While a stall for the navy is being setup, the air force has not asked for one as yet,” explained officials privy to the event.

Singers Kailash Kher and Mohit Chauhan are likely to perform at the event. Children are also being invited and will be asked to write on the armed forces. The celebration is not only happening in Delhi, but across India although the locations are not clear as yet.

Sources also added that not just the strikes, even information, videos and pictures of India’s other major wars and exercises such as of the IAF’s Gagan Shakti-2018 held in April will also be shown. Gagan Shakti was the IAF’s biggest combat exercise when it mobilised over 1100 combat, transport and rotary wing (read as helicopter) aircraft to practise real time war scenario along the western and northern frontiers. Such a major celebration coincides with the Kargil Vijay Diwas held on July 26 every year to honour the 1999 Kargil War heroes.