A few kilometres from the Kargil town, on the banks of the river Suru, an Army truck screeches to a halt. Few jawans of a Signal unit jump out carrying a bottle of rum. They pour a few lidfuls of the liquor on a stone memorial to a colleague who lost his life in the 1971 war, right at this spot.

Lance Naik Deepa Ram, SM, of 375 Signal Regiment, was on fault rectification duty when he was hit by an enemy shell on December 7, 1971. Deepa Ram died on the spot and his colleagues built a small shrine in his memory. A memorial stone at the spot gives details of the incident and the supreme sacrifice of the martyr.

Twenty-eight years later, a jawan, Soba Ram, while on his way to Drass, stops at the memorial to offer prayers at the memorial stone of this colleague he never knew. According to him, the ritual of offering rumto the memorial stone has been going on for the past 28 years. ``There have been dozens of accidents on this curve of the road. It is believed that the spirit of the soldier who laid down his life at this spot would be calmed only by offering rum,'' Soba Ram said.

Interestingly, lidfuls of rum are also distributed as prasad to Armymen passing by, who, as a rule, stop their vehicles and line up to salute their colleague and martyr of 1971 war. In fact, the National Highway IA from Srinagar-Kargil-Leh is dotted by such memorial stones of brave soldiers who either died fighting, or were killed during a road construction or snow-clearing mission on the treacherous route Sonamarg onwards. At the Zojilla Pass, a steep curve is called `Captain Morh', after a young Captain of Bihar Regiment of the same name lost his life at the spot. Jawans of the Regiment make it a point to offer prayers at the shrine whenever they pass the area. Most of Army convoy vehicles stop here for prayers and even donate money atthe memorial.

There are also memorials in remembrance of groups of soldiers who have been killed on that particular spot. ``The valiant force who laid their lives while fighting the enemy'' says a memorial stone on the roadside near Kargil. A senior Army officer told The Indian Express that the main reason to build roadside memorial shrines is to show respect, love, admiration and appreciation for the war heroes who went down fighting. He said these memorials had a message: ``We don't forget those who fight and offer supreme sacrifice for the country.'' He said the Army encourages laying of such memorials, as these help build the morale of troops.

This is fourth war in Kargil since 1947 and after every battle, the number of war memorials only increases here.