Editorial
Daily Excelsior
Jul 26, 1999
Title: Politicising Kargil Author: Editorial Publication: Daily Excelsior Date: Jul 26, 1999 Congress Party has been working overtime to persist in politicising Kargil issue with the direct effect of posing challenge not only to the ruling clan but also to the armed forces. Its attempt to drive political mileage during run up to Lok Sabha polls notwithstanding, anything said or done that even remotely criticises defence forces is not acceptable. The Congress statement alleging that Brigade Commander in Kargil had informed as far back as August last year about enhanced threat perceptions from Pakistan in Kargil has been denied by the Army Headquarters. It is for the first time that army has been compelled to join the controversy being raised by Congress time and again. This time round none other than Army Chief Gen V P Malik denies having received any such letter from the then Brigade Commander. This is indeed very irresponsible behaviour on the part of 113 year old party which has now directly accused army of ignoring warnings from the field. This is simply not on. Congress has also been busy having a dig at Vajpayee Government for lack lustre attitude with regard to intrusions in Kargil and puts daily posers asto how they succeeded in occupying such strategic points without being noticed by our forces or intelligence. In fact, Congress is hell bent upon making Kargil as the election plank as if it has no other issue on hand to fight the battle at the husting. There is no denying the fact that as soon as intrusions were noticed, not only drastic all round action followed to evict the Pak intruders but also armed forces were given free hand to complete the most difficult task that the nation faced since independence. It is Vajpayee Government that readily okayed use of air power to neutralise the enemy thereby queering the pitch for the infantry to reoccupy the strategic heights. Again, never before mass media was put to massive use for projecting the Kargil issue at all forums. The media offensive and coverage carried conviction even with our traditional detractors. Never before each and every martyr irrespective of rank has been eulogised and glorified on mass media. This resulted in creating mass awakening in the nation and uniting it as never before. Again, it is for the first time that massive packages are announced for the families of the martyrs. In comparison martyrs of previous wars left the good earth almost unsung. There were nearly 3200 who sacrificed their lives for the nation in 1965 war while the number of martyrs was 3800 in 1971. Contributions into National Defence Funds continue to flow as never before. There is unprecedented glorification of the armed forces and political back up has been par excellent. Congress has also attempted to segregate Army from Government. To be precise it is nation's victory. Armed forces can perform only if political leadership backs them to the hilt without any inhibitions. The Congress must look within and recollect its follies in all the wars with Pakistan. In 1947, tribal invasion backed up by Pak army regulars resulted in creation of PoK with one third of J&K territory left unretrieved by agreeing to ceasefire when our forces were advancing and within sight of clearing Pak intruders from entire J&K. Again, Nehru Government internationalised Kashmir in 1948-49 by taking the matter to UN and then volunteering for plebiscite. It is this basic blunder that is the primary source of subsequent wars, the proxy war and the latest Kargil intrusion. One can mention the 1962 Chinese agression as well. Nehru Government had received reports as far back as 1957 about China's military build up and annexation of large tracts of Indian territory. The Congress ruling party blundered when Nehru did not permit use of Canberra bombers and Hunters to stop the advancing Chinese flanking movement to bypass Sela Pass. If Air power had been used, India would not have faced such humiliating defeat leaving 38000 sq. km of Aksai Chin area in Ladakh in Chinese hands. Has any Congress Government even remotely mentioned recovering this annexed territory ? In 1965 war India not only returned all Pak areas occupied by our valiant forces but also gave on a platter Haji Peer which happens to be the prime infiltration route. Incidentally, Haji Peer was captured at huge loss of chivalrous soldiers. And that awful Tashkent agreement. But one tends to give full marks to the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri for allowing Army to open as many fronts as it deemed fit besides permitting use of Air Force for stopping Pak tank blitzkrieg in Chhamb area. in 1971 Congress Government returned 93000 POWs to Pakistan without extracting any price in terms of final settlement of J&K. It was such a high emotive issue for every Pak family that ZA Bhutto would have agreed to permanent solution then and there. And what successive Governments have done to flush out continuous flow of intruders into J&K for the last 10 years to what is called as proxy war. And worst still, it is the Congress that denied our armed forces not only political back up but also budgetry provision for adding mere teeth proportionate to enemy acquisitions. It is the Congress Government that surrendered the vital initiative taken in 1974 by carrying out first nuclear test thereby leaving the country behind by at least 25 years even when there were definite reports of China-Pak nexus and cooperation in equipping Pak with missile and nuclear technologies and weapons by China. Looked from any angle Kargil fiasco has been the result of neglect right from the time of signing Shimla accord in 1972. Why successive Congress Government did not establish permanent posts in Kargil at strategic heights with substantial budgetry provision. To be precise, one tends to appreciate Vajpayee Government for successfully retrieving Kargil areas from well entrenched Pak intruders. Record of Congress has been to ‘forgive and forget’ by keep on surrendering more and more areas to Pakistan and China in every successive war. It therefore does not behove well for a national party to keep on parrotting follies in Kargil which indeed have their origin in Congress rulers who paid scant regard to such strategic heights. The Indian success story both in the battlefield as also on the mass media has been lauded worldwide. So much so that even Pak press and the entire Pak opposition has condemned Pakistan for bringing massive humiliation to the country through Kargil misadventure. When everyone, including the enemy, is full of praise for Vajpayee Government, when entire world community supports Vajpayee's action, when entire nation is one in giving full marks to Vajpayee Government, it is quite unworthy of Congress to keep on politicising Kargil so much so that even Army has now been dragged in. It would be better and in the larger Congress as also nation's interests that Congress puts an end to the malicious campaign and instead do some self-introspection on its own follies with regard to many blunders committed in J&K resulting in loss of territory to both Pakistan (one third of J&K) and to China (38000 sq. km. in Ladakh).
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