AR observe 26th Memorial Day of Capt. Kenguruse

45 Assam Rifles solemnly observed the 26th Memorial Day of Captain (late) Neikezhakuo Kenguruse, MVC, at Nerehma Phezha Village on Saturday, honoring his supreme sacrifice during the Kargil War on June 28, 1999, in Operation Vijay.
The event was marked by emotional tributes, military honors, and patriotic fervor. Major General Manish Kumar, SM, Inspector General of Assam Rifles (North), attended as chief guest, along with senior army officers, veterans, NCC cadets, students, villagers, and the martyr’s family members. The program included: wreath-laying ceremony, torch lighting at Amar Jawan Jyoti, screening of a short film on Capt. Kenguruse’s heroism, march pasts by NCC cadets, ex-servicemen, and pipe bands from Fernbrook School and 45 Assam Rifles, prayer service and eulogy by 45 Assam Rifles and felicitation of the martyr’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Neisalie Kenguruse.
A free medical camp named in memory of Capt. Kenguruse was also inaugurated, followed by a tea interaction with the family and veterans.
Delivering a speech, Maj Gen Manish Kumar hailed Capt. Kenguruse as “a beacon of courage, a symbol of selfless sacrifice, and a soldier carved in steel and sanctity.”
Recalling the heroic night of June 28, 1999, he narrated how the young officer, despite being injured, scaled a vertical cliff barefoot in Drass sector and took down enemy bunkers in hand-to-hand combat, sacrificing his life to ensure the Indian flag flew high on Tololing Ridge.
“Captain Kenguruse did not just fight a battle, he became the battle,” said Maj Gen Kumar. He urged the youth of Nagaland to draw inspiration from Capt. Kenguruse’s life and legacy, stating that June 28 is not just a date but a ‘pilgrimage in time.’
“The soldier dies not when he is struck by a bullet; he dies when he is forgotten. Captain Kenguruse will never be forgotten,” he added.