Defeat declared Victory

Col J P Singh
July month every year reminds us of Kargil War and the national papers, almost each day, flash remembrances of brave hearts who laid down their precious lives fighting one of the bloodiest military campaign in the Indian history over an obscure place. It also reminds us that on 14 July 1999, prime minister Vajpayee flashed a big Victory Sign declaring ‘Op Vijay’ as success. By then the hills overlooking the highway had been cleared of the intruders but the war was not yet over. Sitting in HQ Northern Command, officers of my level were taken by surprise as the daily situation reported bloody attacks and counter attacks. Thereafter army pounced on depth positions and gained the desired victory on 26th July 1999. The day has since been christened as Kargil Vijay Diwas and is celebrated with great fervor for those who enabled Vajpayee to flash a Victory Sign.
From 1995 militancy in the valley was on the decline and this was the cause of concern to the Pakistan Army and the ISI. Kashmir was returning to peace and stability. Pak feared total decimation of militancy and its irrelevance. Hence the last war of the century was forced on India by Pakistan. Kargil episode exposed Pak deep rooted hostility towards India. Every summer stories of anguish, pain, emotions, loss, pride, triumph and military victory reverberate and add to our anguish against an adversary who follows no rules of the game. It is also the first military conflict that entered Indian drawing and bed rooms, thanks to the fledgling Indian TV news industry. Many books have been written and lot else reported about the war. Kargil 1999 therefore is very well chronicled. Hence there hardly is any need to revisit it. But despite inflicting most ignominious defeats to the perpetrator of this treacherous military misadventure and before this in 1971, bigger dangers loom large. Lessons learnt have been confined to the files.  Hence the review is necessary despite the risk of repetition. Like a geo-political crisis engulfed the Himalayan borderlands of J&K at the fag end of the bloodiest 20th century, 21st century has come with blood in its wings. ISIL is threatening to destroy non-believers of Islam. India is on its radar. Under the circumstances keeping Kargil in mind would keep us alert.
The genesis of Kargil Yudh lies in Pakistan’s repeated failure to annex Kashmir. 3 conventional wars, 15 years of war in Siachen and 12 years of proxy war had led her to exasperation. Present no-win situation is even more frustrating for them. On 3rd May 1999, a grazier informed the army about intrusion in Batalik. On May 5 a patrol led by Capt Saurab Kalia was sent to confirm it. It was ambushed, decimated and all tortured to death confirming large scale infiltration. This misadventure of a rouge nuclear state alarmed the world. Before the partition of 1947, Kargil was part of Baltistan District now under illegal Pak occupation. Pak ingress in Kargil could be a ploy to tell the world that Kargil being part of Baltistan called for its merger in it. Since it was treachery at its worst, world rapped Pakistan for it. Pakistan has become immune to such criticism. Hence continues fomenting troubles in the valley. (Present violence in the valley by furious mobs is distinctly Pak abetted).
Before the beginning of summer in 1999, Pakistan infiltrated their Special Operations Groups and Northern Light Infantry sub units to covertly set up bases on vantage points on the Indian side. According to some reports these sub units were backed by Afghani and Kashmiri mercenaries. Pak intrusions took place in the (i) lower Mushkoh Valley along the Marpo La Ridge near Dras (ii) Batalik Sector East of Indus River, (iii) Chorbat La where LOC turns North and (iv) in the Turtok Sector, South of Siachen. On 9 May, Pak Artillery shelled ammunition depot at Kargil which caught fire resulting into greater loss of ammunition and panic in the township. Their objectives were to lay claim over Kargil, severe links between Srinagar and Leh, to force vacation of Siachen by doing Siachen in Kargil and to internationalise Kashmir issue hoping to secure a speedy resolution.
Leh to Srinagar was two lane road. Pakistanis carried out direct firing on the army convoys inflicting heavy casualties. The protection of this route and the recapture of the forward posts remained objective throughout. This involved clearing Tiger Hill and Tololing in Dras, soon to be followed in clearing Batalik-Turtok sub-sectors. Hence Indian Army reacted promptly to capture Tololing on 13 June 1999, Pt. 5060 & Pt. 5100 on 29 June, Tiger Hill on 4 July after 11 hours bloody battle, Jubar Heights on 7 July and key Peaks of Batalik on 11 July. This tilted the combat in India’s favor and enabled Vajpayee to declare victory.
World watched mesmerized as the Indian soldiers fought yard by bloody yard in the most inhospitable terrain. The young officers and men did a splendid job on the ground. 527 brave soldiers and 7 civilian Porters of ‘Tanda Tiger Force’ laid down their lives. Another 1363 soldiers were disfigured and maimed for life. Triumph Cry of Capt Vikram Batra, of 13 JAK Rifles “Dil Mange More’ echoed from the towering mountains of Kargil. It thundered all over India and Pakistan. Young Capt Vikram came into limelight when he captured Pt. 5140 at 3.30 AM on 20th June. This set in motion his trails of achievements. Thereafter he captured Pt. 5100, Pt 4700, Junction Peak, Three Pimples and finally, with his fellow Capt Anuj Nayyar, MVC (Posthumous), Vikram led his men to victory with the capture of Pt. 4875 where he made supreme sacrifice on 7 July. It is to the sacrifices and heroic tales of such young victors and Batras that this article is dedicated to, in all earnestness and humility.
Most of the analysts are of the view that it was a war of India’s making. Generally peace follows a war. In this case it was other way round.  After 1971 war there has been no war till 1999. To seek everlasting peace, Vajpayee took a bus journey to Lahore in February 1999 and signed a peace deal named ‘Lahore Declaration’. Ironically, while India was sleeping, Pak army was covertly infiltrating in Kargil. In this case a war followed a major peace initiative of an Indian statesman premier.  Least Vajpayee could have done is to allow army to open another front or let the army go that much deep in Northern Areas and bargained his cherished peace deal from a position of strength. Pt Nehru accepted ceasefire in 1948 without evicting Pak intruders allowing 1/3rd of J&K to go. Mrs Gandhi released 93,000 Pak PsOW in 1972 without securing a firm peace deal from Bhutto. Similarly Vajpayee did not allow army to avenge Pak treachery. Hence it was Vajpayee’s self proclaimed victory, not in the true military sense.  No lesson had been learnt.
Each battle and campaign leaves certain lessons for the posterity and perspectives for future. The Kargil war is no exception. China wanted to annex Ladakh through its proxy.  This annoyed America. Clinton called Nawaz Sharif to the White House to tell him to pull out of Kargil. But that has not changed Pakistan’s strategy of inflicting thousand cuts every day. In the last decades India has faced a host of military and non military threats from within and outside. Therefore, in future, India will have to be prepared for conventional war, proxy war, terrorism, militancy, chemical & biological and nuclear war. It is too much for a developing nation which has unpredictable neighbours like China & Pakistan. Nepal may be another surprise. It brings out another dilemma, how should India prepare to secure itself for its sustained economic growth; by military or illusory peaceful means.
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