Pune, May 17, 2019

In July 1995, Vijay Kumar Chopra, Managing Editor of Punjab Kesari, suggested that I meet Lt. Gen. Ved Prakash Malik in Pune. At that time, I was engaged in social work in Kashmir with Vande Mataram, an organization I co-founded. During our meeting at Gen. Malik’s residence, he encouraged us to take the lead in supporting the people of Kargil and Leh and suggested forming a dedicated organization for this purpose.

Inspired by Gulzar’s poetry, I had already started Sarhad, a name Gen. Malik appreciated. Back then, Kargil was little known, as the now-famous Kargil War had not yet occurred. The foundation of Sarhad’s work in Kargil was laid during that pivotal meeting. Over time, our bond grew stronger.

In 1998, Sarhad launched the Sant-Sufi Sandesh Yatra, a peace march from Pune to Srinagar, which resonated deeply across the country. However, before the message could fully take root, Pakistan initiated the Kargil incursion under the guise of mujahideen in 1999. In the wake of this crisis, I was contacted by Vijay Thombare of Market Missionaries, who arranged a meeting with Union Minister Pramod Mahajan. Soon after, Vande Mataram and Sarhad organized a patriotic march in Pune, uniting people from all religious backgrounds to show unwavering support for the Indian Army.

Following this, Sarhad facilitated the distribution of essential supplies to communities in Dras, Machchil, Kargil Village, and Batalik—areas severely affected by the conflict. This relief effort was made possible through the support of Late Shriram Bhide and Sanjay Aher of the Rupee Bank Employees’ Trust, as well as the cooperation of J&K Home Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Lone and his secretary Jehangir Mir. Gen. Ved Prakash Malik, then Chief of Staff of the Indian Army, commended our efforts, acknowledging the positive message it conveyed about the Indian Army.

Over the years, Sarhad’s involvement with Kargil deepened. We included Kargil’s children in our Know India Tour for orphans and engaged with the Model Village Scheme under the leadership of Anna Hazare. In 2003, we established a school in Pune for J&K children, with 17 from Kargil selected by Lt. Gen. Ravi Dastane.

In 2017, Chinar Publishers, the publishing arm of Sarhad, released the Marathi translation of Gen. Malik’s book Kargil: From Surprise to Victory, titled Kargil: Ashcharyacha Dhakka te Vijay, translated by noted author Prashant Talnikar.

Today, 37 children from Kargil are part of the 150 J&K students at Sarhad. Among them are Stanzin Dorje, son of Tashi Namgyal—the first to alert the Indian Army about the Pakistani incursion—and Joginder Singh, who lost 15 family members in a terrorist attack during the Kargil War. We’ve also adopted Nasreen, daughter of the porter who carried Captain Saurabh Kalia’s body from enemy territory.

These young individuals are now active participants in our initiatives to promote Kargil as an international tourist destination. We’re collaborating with the Hotel Owners’ Association of Kargil and the Tour Operators’ Association in Pune to boost tourism.

In 2014, Pune-based entrepreneur Sanjeev Shah and friend Vikas Desadla launched the Call of Brahmaputra bicycle rally under Sarhad’s banner, which was a massive success. Inspired by this, we organized a similar rally in J&K with support from the then Tourism Minister G A Mir and Tourism Secretary Talat Parvez.

Later, Sanjeev Shah spearheaded Sarhad’s efforts to position Kargil as a key tourist destination. This led to the first Kargil International Marathon in 2017, supported by Mohd. Hamza from Kargil, Arvind Bijwe, and Nikhil Shah from Pune.

This Coffee Table Book marks the third edition of the Kargil International Marathon. We sincerely thank Dr. Sanjay Parva, the Departments of Tourism and Culture, J&K, Gen. (Retd.) Ved Prakash Malik, professional associations in Kargil, and the Indian Army for their invaluable support.

We hope this book will attract sports enthusiasts, tourists, and businesses from across India and the world, drawing attention to the beauty and resilience of Kargil.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Mr. Sanjay Nahar
Founder, Sarhad