KARGIL WAR will always be remembered for the determination and daring leadership and the raw courage of our jawans

This day is celebrated every year as Vijay Divas to remember the Valour of our soldiers. The Kargil war lasted for two months which narrates the courage, sacrifice, and strength of the Indian Army on which every Indian should have proud.

The Kargil War had been the most devastating time period for the Indians. The sound of gunfire, bombs exploding, blood spilled like a river, corpses piling everywhere and tanks movement shaking the earth, the presence can be still relived among soldiers as a horrifying memory who survived during that phase.

The Kargil War will always be remembered for its strategic and tactical surprises, the national strategy of keeping the war limited to Kargil-Siachen sectors and the swiftly executed military strategy and planning. The army told Pakistan that there is a limit to India’s tolerance if there is no let-up in the proxy war. It is both a pride inducing moment and a prick in the hearts of the soldiers who valiantly fought for our nation. 

Reason behind Kargil:

Kargil intrusion by Pakistan started in May, shortly after the India-Lahore Agreement between Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The tensions between the two neighbors were de-escalating and mutual relations were at the farthest since 1998. Pakistan wanted to take over the entire Kashmir region although they have already captured PoK. Jammu and Kashmir was merged into India in October 1947 by the then King Hari Singh. “Accordingly, the Indian Army was deployed in Kashmir and we had thrown out the Pakistani infiltrators at that time but at that time ceasefire was declared.

“India has the right over the entire Jammu and Kashmir,

including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). How we will take it is a political decision.”

Kargil operation—was aimed at distorting and dis functioning India’s supply lines to Siachen and force it to vacate and enter into negotiations with Pakistan on the fate of Kashmir. The conflict is a planned precedent with regards to how the fear of a nuclear exchange is bound to draw third parties to play a self-motivated management role in future crises. For this reason, the United States must begin to put a premium on crisis prevention over crisis management. The way in which the Indian Armed Forces fought the war and tried to ensure that it did not escalate into a nuclear conflict was acclaimed world over.

How it starts:

… a surprise attack by Pakistan soldiers and Kashmiri militants infiltrated the LOC line of Kargil in Kashmir on 3rd May. The war was regulated by Pakistani Lieutenant & ISI. On the basis of the reports of a local shepherd, a patrolling party was sent to the peak of Kargil but was captured and tortured to death. The famous case of Saurabh Kalia.

If India could take up the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav at the International Court of Justice, what is wrong with the case of inhuman treatment to Saurabh Kalia. Till now Martyr’s Family Wants India to Take Pak to ICJ for this war crime.

We MISSED then, now LEARN:

A Case of mistrust:

Indian posts along the LoC at the mountain peaks were vacated before winter. The Pakistanis did likewise on their side of the Line of Control. This was an understanding between the two sides due to the inhospitable living conditions at posts, with heavy winter snowfall cutting them off from the rest of the world.

Failure of military intelligence as well as readiness:

Most of the roads to these posts were either not motorable. Artillery guns – crucial for destroying enemy bunkers high up in the mountains or for accurately firing on enemy troops hiding behind boulders – were inadequate. Surveillance by high-technology equipment such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles were not there.

Vajpayee’s Lahore bus diplomacy:

It reversed all the gains as he was to the idea of peace with Pakistan, he did not move at the prospect of a war when Pakistan revealed its aggressive intent to occupy Indian territory.

What has changed after the Kargil War

Not enough motor-able roads to connect the crucial army posts.
[Ever since the Modi government came to power, it has put together a great amount of effort to upgrade the roads in border areas of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and China. The Zojila pass tunnel which is set to become the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia has been approved by the Modi government.

Defense forces have to face a hard time ensuring supplies to border posts during winters. This pass is most strategic for the entire Kargil sector which has seen intrusion and war in the past.]

Though the Bofors guns did a commendable job in attacking the enemy’s position at height, the need for more sophisticated firepower was felt at that time.
[India’s artillery firepower got boost, only under the Modi government as it inducted two new guns, K9 Vajra and M777. Vajra guns which are designed to suit the difficult Indian terrain can fire up to the range of 30 km. BAE Systems M777 guns are ultra-lightweight howitzers that can be picked up by the helicopters and can be deployed in the high-altitude regions.]

Thanks to the locals, India was alerted about the enemy’s intrusion in Kargil.
[Modi government has laid the foundation for the most sophisticated surveillance systems and the intelligence gathering through technology on par with any military power in the world.]

Other improvements:

• Infiltration routes used by Pakistani troops were identified and counter-infiltration grids made. These grids will cover the infiltration routes, including the passes.
• The army’s deployment strength has more than tripled. “The gaps in deployments such as in passes and around valleys have been plugged. Even those areas from where the intruders had come in have been protected.
• Communication has improved with the laying of optical fiber cables and surveillance was heightened with more Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and satellite imagery. The local intelligence network has been tightened, with an improved public interface.

Although it was a low-intensity conflict but it highlighted deficiencies in India’s intelligence and made us know the need for a robust and full proof defense and logistics network.
India cannot take Pakistan at its face value at any time. There are nested wheels within wheels, within the Pakistani government, army, and ISI, often working at cross-purposes and at cross-junctions, which can blast a surprise and catch us on the wrong foot.

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