Kargil Crises, Response and Reactions

By Prof. M.L. Koul

India was locked in a war of full-scale proportions in Kargil and Drass sectors where the same enemy had penetrated to realise its strategic goals for purposes of annexing and grabbing Kashmir. Despite being a failed state, Pakistan has not reconciled to the reality of Kashmir as an integral part of the political and constitutional organisation of India. To alter the existing political status of Kashmir, Pakistan waged three full-blown wars to effect demographical and political changes in the northern borders that have assumed strategic importance in the present geo-political  scenario.

The latest incursion deep into the interiors of Kargil can be seen as the apogee of the well delineated plans and strategies covertly devised and launched by Pakistan during the dictatorial days of Zia-ul-Haq. The aggression symbolised the design of investing the phased processes of indoctrination, penetration and large scale sabotage with a new hue and direction to materialise the strategic goals deemed vital to the national interests of Pakistan.

In cahoots with Jehadists of varied hues and Pan-Islamist forces Pakistan has been in hot pursuit of effecting a second partition of India with the perceptible objective of gaining a new depth by the expansion of its power and territorial base into the Himalayan belts of Jammu and Kashmir. The protracted insurgency in Kashmir launched by the indigenous Jehadi elements with massive material and moral support from global forces of Pan-Islamism is in assiduous search of a solid foot hold to consolidate its strategic gains for further expansion into the valley deemed as vital to the end of the revival caliphate from Kashmir to the shores of the Atlantic ocean. Kargil intrusion was not only on attempt to expand the area of conflict but also provide an impetus to the forces of insurgency chasing the goal of disengag-ing Kashmir from India.

The cloak of Jehad has been put upon what is purely a territorial ambition on part of Pakistan. To capture Kargil and Drass for further expansion into the east Pakistan devised a perfidious plan to aggress Kargil under the banner of Jehadists owing allegiance to the fanatic terrorist formations like Lashker-e-Toiba, Harkat-ul-Ansar, Harkat-i-Jehad Islami and Al-Badr who have augmented the flanks of Taliban as well. The Pakistan army in synch with such terrorist formations launched its operation in Kargil to materialise its blue-print of annexing Kashmir. The new breed of militants speak of a holy war to revive the caliphate, a relic of the past, which is the global polity of a global Muslim nation into which Kashmiri Muslims have to merge for the fact that they are Muslims and have to merge with Pakistan.
The Indian Home Minister has aptly described Pakistan as a rogue state as it flouts and has least commitments to bilateral agreements and even international codes of behaviour and covenants. The Kargil incursion was launched to violate the Line of Control which was properly delineated and create a dispute about it with a view to re-drawing it accordant with its strategic objectives. The violation of the Line of Control was equally aimed at forcing a solution of the Kashmir tangle through international intervention.

Though initially flabbergasted by the blatant incursion into the Indian territory of strategic importance, the Indian government rose to the occasion and launched the ‘Operation Vijay’ to defeat and eject out the enemy from its territory. Despite the terrain being difficult and inhospitable, the Indian army structured a baffling military response and compelled the enemy to withdraw its aggression from the territories occupied clandestinely and in violation of bilateral pacts and agreements. The counter-offensive was so vehement and vigorous that the Pakistani defences shook to the roots and crumbled into a heap of ruins. The Indian armed forces exhibited a unique determination and well coordinated planning to register a victory in real operational military terms. Pakistan was not allowed to score a victory in terms of military operations and that is what forced it to withdraw from the occupied territories in all ignominy.

The opposition in Pakistan and reitred army generals have scathed the Nawaz Sharief government for the failures in Kargil opertaions. Air Marshal Nur Khan characterised the Kargil intrusion as a military disaster which had finally proved that Kashmir tangle had no military solution. He called the operations as covert which could not be lent support by the international community. He held the Prime Minister and the Army Chief respon-sible for the fiasco and debacle. The former Vice Chief of Army Staff called the Kargil operations as a complete fiasco and a failure as it was lacking in the basics of strategic planning and failed to anticipate the reaction of the enemy. The former ISI chief was equally critical of the operations as strategic priori-ties had not been set and political and diplomatic preparations had not been made. Mrs Benazir Bhutto, the leader of opposition and former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has in a recent statement called Nawaz Sharif a security risk and characterised him as the most incompetent Prime Minister in the history of Pakistan. After Kargil intrusions the opposition is in absolute unanimity to dislodge the government in saddle. The fundamentalist groups are equally dead set against the Prime Minister for entering into commitments with Bill Clinton.
How the counter-offensive was organised and launched by the Indian government has turned into a hot subject of debate in the country. It has become a staple of the media and is sure to impact the elections as well. The critics of the government charge it with intelligence failure and slackening of the vigil on the borders. The criticism in not fake nor is it lacking in pitch. The Pakistani intruders must have made thorough preparations to position themselves on the heights and must have been equipped with heavy weapons to defend themselves and their shelters. Regular supplies must have come to them through supply routes. It sounds as sheer negligence on the part of intelligence agencies as not to have kept and maintained a consistent watch on the enemy movements. As per a report in the media about a brigadier and a major general, posted in the area being relieved of their charge has made the picture murkier. A mason from Kargil itself is said to have constructed new bunkers for the intruders on the ridges and the materials used in the constructions are said to have been carried to the top heights by men from Kargil itself. What gets established is that there have been enemies within who have been in active liaison with the main enemy. The Indian governments of varied hues have always failed in their intel-ligence to comprehend the nexus between the internal subversives and the external enemy. The same failure was witnessed in 1989 variety of insurgency when the state power was visibly seen colluding with the terrorists churned out from the Quranic schools and madrasas.

Pakistan was upset, way shell-shocked, when it failed to muster diplomatic support for its Kargil misadventure. China, an old ally of Pakistan, back-tracked from supporting the Pakistan position of violating the borders through an armed intrusion. The G-8 countries, despite some ambiguities, made a declaration to the effect of withdrawal of Pak forces from the Indian territory. Germany came out in unequivocal support of India as it had re-ports about the involvement of Afghan and Taliban mercenaries in the Kargil conflict alongwith Pakistan army regulars. Washington could not see any cogency in the escalation of tension along the borders and forced Pakistan Prime Minister to the commitments of the withdrawal of his forces from the occupied territories. It appears that there is a paradigmic shift in the American position because of the tacit support of Pakistan to Osama Bin Laden supporting international terrorism. The Dullesian era of cold war is already over and Pakistan seems to have outlived its utility. The American position could be dictated by the economic interests the Americans have in the country that has taken to the liberalised economy in a big way.

The fact that India has earned global support on its Kargil position cannot be brushed off so easily. It could be the result of the hectic diplomatic efforts on the part of our foreign minister who has been busy in parleys with a number of countries holding sway over the international affairs. But, there is a danger that the global support might turn interventionists to the disadvantage of the Indian interests of national security and territorial integrity. As Kargil conflict is the direct off shoot of Kashmir insurgency, the policy planners and intellectuals committed to the cause of territorial integrity of the country must prevent any and all moves that loosen the political and constitutional ties of Kashmir with India. The concept of greater autonomy based on population complexion of the regions in the state is as inimical to the national interests as the Krepon report suggestive of a plebiscite in the Valley and softening of borders between Kashmir and Pakistan held part of it.

The Indian government was shocked when it was handed over the mutilated bodies of six Indian soldiers who were captured by Pak soldiers in Kargil tortured and done to death. The Indian politicals decried it as flagrant violation of the Haguq convention which delineates the treatment to be meted out to the prisoners of war. The same politicals across the broad political spectrum of the country did not utter a word when Muslim terrorists inflicted unheard of savageries and atrocities on the hapless Kashmiri Pandits, who have been victims of genocide. Girija Tickoo, a lab assistant, was chopped into two halves by a mechanical saw after she was gang raped. Sarvanand Kaul Premi, a noted poet and literateur, was skinned off, nails were driven into his forehead where he put a tilak-mark, hair on his body was pulled out and his eyes were gouged out. Sarla Bhat, a staff nurse working in the Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, was gang-raped, her breasts were chopped off, her private parts were mutiliated, was put to bullets and thrown off on the roadside to the care of volunteers. A thick cloak of concealment was placed on the savageries inflicted on the Kashmiri Pandits. Had it been thoroughly broadcast to the world, the Pak soldiers would not dared flout the humanitarian norms of civilised people.

The Hindus of J&K State have been the main targets of the moves and maneuvers of the forces of militarised Islam. They have been destroyed and divested and are in ruins. Three lakh Kashmiri Pandits have been externed from their homes and hearths and are in exile and Diaspora. The Hindus of Doda, Poonch and Rajouri have been put to orgies of large-scale massacres. The Hindus living along the borders in Jammu are devastated and have been left high and dry, uncared for and beleaguered. They perceive government of India as a soft state reluctant to measure their reality vital to the over-all interests of the country.

Source: Kashmir Sentinel