Pioneer News Service
The Pioneer
June 14, 1999
Title: PM fights fire with fire Author: Pioneer News Service Publication: The Pioneer Date: June 14, 1999 Five shells from across the border greeted Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his arrival in Kargil on Sunday. They landed a mere km away from the helipad. Responding to the fiery greeting, Mr Vajpayee said Pakistan had once again committed aggression by sending armed personnel and mercenaries into the Indian side of the Line-of-Control (LoC). "A war has been forced on us. This armed intrusion amounted to aggression,"he said. India had wanted peace, yet it would not rest "till all the intruders are driven out," he warned. "Hum shanti chahte hain per hum yudh ke liye bhi taiyar rahte hain (we want peace but keep ourselves prepared for war)". He charged Pakistan with betraying India's trust."We went to Islamabad with a hand of friendship but they broke our trust." Concerned at the shelling incident, President K R Narayanan sent a message to Mr Vajpayee from Hyderabad, where he is on a week-long sojourn. "I am relieved to know that you were not affected by the cowardly act and continued with your programme to boost the morale of our troops," he wrote. Minutes after the Prime Minister landed here on a special Indian Air Force helicopter at 11.05 am, shelling from the Pakistan side intensified with shots being fired from the Hardayal point. As Mr Vajpayee alighted from the chopper and moved towards the tent to address jawans, another shell exploded in Baroo. The third explosion was heard as he addressed the jawans, and the fourth while he was talking to locals. The fifth hit the village as he moved towards the chopper to return to Srinagar. The divisional commissioner's office in Baroo village was destroyed in the shelling, which coincided with the time when the Prime Minister was originally scheduled to address local residents there. But the venue was shifted to a hall close to the helipad at the behest of both the Indian Army and the Special Protection Group (SPG), whose intelligence reports warned that the Pakistan Army might resort to intense shelling during Mr Vajpayee's visit. Journalists present at the venue saw the smoke billowing out of a building housing government offices, in the village, barely two-km away from the helipad. Officials said three artillery shells also burst shortly before the Premier's arrival. Official sources said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah's suggestion that Mr Vajpayee should visit the market place where the DC's office was located was not accepted by the security personnel. Talking to local residents at a changed venue, Mr Vajpayee accused Pakistan of violating the sanctity of the Line of Control (LOC). "Our land has been captured by Pakistan. We will not rest till all the intruders are driven out (from our territory). We will give them a befitting reply." Lauding the jawans, he said: "You are discharging your duties responsibly. We are proud of you. A hundred crore Indians are behind you." Mr Vajpayee said India had bluntly told Pakistan during the Foreign Minister-level talks in New Delhi on Saturday to vacate its territory. "We don't want your land but vacate ours." The Prime Minister announced free rations for all those who were forced to leave their homes following the Kargil hostilities. He also promised financial assistance, clothes, medicines and other amenities for the homeless. Mr Vajpayee said Pakistan wanted Jammu and Kashmir as its rationale was that more Muslims live in that state. "But we don't agree to this. We have more Muslims in India. In our country, all religions get equal opportunities. But this is not the case in Pakistan," he said. Later, addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Mr Vajpayee asked Pakistan to vacate Indian territory in Kargil to defuse the situation and warned that any further escalation of conflict might prove costly to Islamabad, though India wanted to avoid a war."Our effort is to avoid war but we are determined to get back our territory and we will see that the LoC is honoured." "India is for continuation of the Lahore process, which includes the commitment to the Simla Agreement. For that process to be fruitful, it is absolutely necessary for the status quo ante to be restored on the LoC." he added. He said that Pakistani Foreign Minister spoke of many proposals during his visit to New Delhi, but "all fell short (of requirement) because they did not contain the promise that the aggression (in Kargil) will be vacated and status quo restored." On whether a major intelligence failure had resulted in the present situation in Kargil, he said: "Who failed or when the failure occurred are some of the questions that shall be examined after these operations are over. This is no time for post-mortem examination." Asserting that Kashmir is an integral part of India, he said, "Everybody was aware of the Parliamentary resolution calling for the return of PoK to India." The Prime Minister was accompanied by Defence Minister George Fernandes, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and Chief of Army Staff General V P Malik. Due to intense fighting in the Dras sector, the Prime Minister cancelled his visit there and returned to Srinagar, where he was briefed by top Army officials on the prevailing situation in Kargil and other forward areas. The Prime Minister also visited the army base hospital and enquired about the welfare of injured soldiers and said the nation was proud of their sacrifice.
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