A GOOD GAME AT KARGIL
by: Brig.(Retd) M. Shafi Khan

Kargil is the midpoint between Srinagar and Leh - a distance of 420 km. Leh is the base for supplies to Siachen - the frozen hell - the highest battleground on earth. Indian Forces took the liberty of stealthily occupying Siachen in 1984. It was the violation of the Simla Agreement. Indians do not believe in observing the rules of the game. They take advantage wherever and whenever they can manage: the occupation of Siachen was such an adventure. The cease-fire line was not marked there because no one could traverse snow bound area. The people in India and Pakistan heard a lot about Siachen but not many people could feel the touch of it: it is just horrible and always frozen. When the winds blow at 22000 ft the bite is killing. The bones get chilled inside the Skin which does not have any warmth. In those yonder mountainous regions live the soldiers -perched on cliffs; they cannot take one step wrong to become dear departed. Such is the prize which India chose to win. They learnt bitter lessons soon after but it became a matter of prestige too difficult to stay and impossible to quit -- too costly in lives and resources. Going to Siachen by land route one has to take the journey from Srinagar to Zojila Pass (over 11500 ft) then going down to Dras a cup shape garrison area, then one climbs again to Kargil over 8000 ft then to descend on way to Leh - the Buddhist territory.

The Line of Control is towards the west of road Srinagar - Leh at varying distances, but within the artillery range of Pakistan Army. Indians bitten by an ambition to seek the dominant positions for observation kept on inching forward. In early May 1999 Indian Forces occupied an area on Pakistan side of LOC. This was the beginning of the latest flare up. Despite warnings Indian troops kept up their efforts to gain more territory. On 5/6 May they tried to capture a Pakistani post. They failed and paid a price of 60 - 70 Lives. Indians moved more troops into the area, attacked again and again only to be punished. On 26-27-28 May C-In-C Northern Command lost his shirt and ordered assault on Mujahideen's positions by MIGs and gunship helicopters. On 27 May they lost two MIG aircrafts and one helicopter on the following day. On 27 May the Indian Command used Air Force intensively and after three strikes claimed to have killed 200 intruders. This is the first time to hear that the attacking aircraft can count casualties on ground. There was confusion and it continues. Some Indian troops reportedly saw Afghan Taliban, some others spotted mercenaries and some others reported irregulars and even Pak Army. They may be given the margin for unexpected casualties on furious looking intruders of different qualities, categories and calibres. General Malik COAS also lost his cool while driving his generals to go for quick attacks.

The real loss of Indian forces by 31 May was not 150 dead, 300 injured and 200 deserters from the Mahar Regiment, but the interruption of the daily traffic of around 600 vehicles load, half of which carry military stores for dumping for Siachen. What if this season is wasted and the supplies do not reach Leh before the first week of October? There will be no civil supplies for over 3 lac population of Ladakh and the troops at Siachen. If this road can not be made safe for traffic India will need thousands of airlifts - a baffling requirement.

Indians must be given credit for advance planning. They have laid out an alternative road (route) - from Himachal Pardesh to Leh through three passes touching heights from 15000 to over 1700O ft - this approach is snow bound - and open only in July and August. What a puzzling situation!

During air strikes 27-28-29-30 and - 31 May 1999 Indian authorities made it clear that the air strikes will be sustained but confined only to Indian side of LOC. After Simla Agreement shelling of schools and villages across the LoC does not pinch their conscience. India has requested Amnesty International to see the atrocities committed by Pakistan. It is so unfortunate that during the last ten years India never allowed Amnesty International and the Red Cross to operate in the Killing Zones of Kashmir but now she has made an appeal for the world to see the plight of refugees from Dras and Kargil. Since 1994 Indians have been shelling Neelum valley: targeting the townships of schools and even hospitals. Over 50,000 people were displaced. Killing children in schools, patients in hospitals and villagers in their homes. Neelum Valley road was kept under fire and even UN observers targeted - Indians do not feel bad when they can inflict losses and casualties on innocent people. No world body was allowed to appear in Kashmir. On India's calling they may visit only Indian Held Kashmir.

These days, the operations are taking place along the LoC and away from Kargil and Dras. Pakistan Artillery shelling has blown up huge quantities of ammunition dumps and stores located in these two localities. The population was not targeted, they had to seek safety away from the military dumps.

Was this development unpredictable? That Mujahideen appeared suddenly in areas where they were not expected? A sudden vision of Mujahideen must have shocked the notorious RAW and their masters. Indian habit of biting the areas here and there and calling them Line of Actual Control or Actual Ground position Line is a normal misconduct. According to India all issues are bilateral and because of this ground reality the Secretary General UNO Mr. Kofi Annan's offer to send his envoy was rejected by India. The request by the Prime Minister of Pakistan to Kofi Annan was neutralised. The American and British authorities also favour this gridded position: good for India... bad for humanity.

BJP’s policy statement after their nuclear tests 11 & 13 May 1998 was:

"We will take back that part of Kashmir that is under Pakistan's occupation: we do not covet anyone else's territory, but we have taken a vow to take back what is ours. The Congress Party made a mistake in letting Pakistan control a part of Kashmir. We will correct that."

India adheres to her declared aims - the genocide and oppression in Kashmir and the actions and shelling over civilian areas along the LoC is in furtherance of Indian aims. Let there be no case of taking it easy and fostering of good will. Weak enemy makes Hindus bolder and meanest.

When Indians (RSS and others not different from one another) killed Gandhi Ji he was trying to stop communal killings and insisting on Nehru to release to Pakistan Rupees 50 crores which was Pakistan's share (the life saving drug for Pakistan at that stage) he was eliminated. In the same manner Nehru's bloc in his mind (RG Acharya) for Kashmir created the situation of a fraudulent accession of Kashmir. After the deed was done Maharaja of Kashmir was ousted from his state - he died a lonely death in Bombay. Sheikh Abdullah was emaciated in Jails till his abject surrender (In 1975) at the feeble stage of his life. It is for over fifty years that this Muslim majority state is going through hell for Nehru's fascinations. The sin has now fallen on Indian soldiers to die in vain in an area they cannot save from the sons of the soil. Why should Indians die in Kashmir? Why Kashmir operations should cost trillions of rupees which could have ameliorated the sad plight of Indian masses? After a walk, when I rested my head on my walking stick I got into a thinking spell, a dream like condition. My mind went towards the terrain of Kashmir where Indian forces are not deployed but actually, badly and awkwardly displaced by the geographical compartments - throughout the state. Any professional officer will dread to think of the fate of Indian Army as to how will they survive when all the roads (2300km) taking bends within miles in hilly area are interfered with and not even disrupted. What can happen if Bannihal tunnel is blocked or interfered with, there will be traffic jam touching as far as Jammu and Srinagar towards the North. Who has got India into such a FIX? Did not Nehru dig a grave for India in 1947? Napoleon's million strong Army ran from Moscow as individuals to reach their homes in France. Will it happen to Indian Army also and when? It is possible. After all Kashmir belongs to its people and not to India - why should Indians die there which could not be India's share in any case.

The tale of two pilots on 27 May 1999, two Indian Air Force pilots had the bad luck to fly over Azad Kashmir territory, they were shot down. The pilot of MIG 27 bailed out and was received and treated as an officer PW. The pilot of MIG 21 squadron leader Adeja about whom it was stated by Air Vice Marshal Malik that he was on a mercy mission to help the pilot of MIG 27 which had developed trouble was also shot down. His body was delivered to India where he was given a state funeral. The Indian authorities abused Pakistanis for murdering the pilot. I have no way of knowing the details except seeing the ZEE TV - the position was described like that. If there were bullets in his head as described, is it not possible that this brave officer did not want to be a prisoner in the hands of the enemy whose aerial space he had violated? As an officer one can expect from him to choose the end in that manner. I can say Pakistani officers and men could never hurt him once he was in their custody. On 14 December 1971,1 had the luck to mop up Chamba operation in Hot Spring Sector - Rajauri Area. A captain (Indian officer) a General's son was one of 170 PWs. This captain was presented to me with these words: "this beast surrendered". When Havildar Aziz approached him, he picked up his Sten and shot him dead. I looked at him with all the scorn. I told him that he deserved very severe punishment but he will not be disposed off summarily. He was in the hands of soldiers for 6-7 hours before he was produced before me. He returned to his country untoudhed. He could be a senior officer, living to confirm. General Kundan Singh and Brigadier Hari Singh of Rajauri Division will confirm the fact. Pakistanis can never do a mean thing like that. The family of the officer and the COAS India must be sure of that.

Ramesh Vinayak (India Today 31 May) says that Pakistanis gained a nasty surprise and the audacious Pakistanis caught the army unaware and caught the security forces off guard. Pakistanis have a good record of doing wonders. The operation (1947-48) of 7229, Pandu and Berripatan will remain classics in warfare. Runn of Kutch found Pakistani battalions driving Indian brigades and clearing vast areas in Rajastan. A brigade bringing armed divisions to halt in Sialkot and keeping a massive force away from Gymkhana Lahore by a small force were the miraculous performances. 1971 was the worst of the experiences but in East Pakistan, India with eight divisions could not claim to have captured even one company position. When Dacca airport was damaged by digger bombs and flying became impossible the only six F86 on ground fought back with their rockets from static position and together with the anti aircraft battery kept the sky clear of Indian Air Force. Such records belong only to Pakistanis. The operation in Hot Spring (1971 mentioned earlier) is yet another example of only 29 men in defence with only four guns, decimated a brigade attack which had air and 110 guns in support--the end result was 170 Indian PWs who were rounded up by the civilians of the area. In May 1972 in Lipa Valley less than a company attacked up-hill and drove a battalion out of defensive positions. In 1984, Siachen - Indians stole a march on Siachen, fully equipped for high altitude operations - Pakistan Army stemmed the forward march by joining the battle without woollies - just naked courage and the will to FIX the enemy's adventure was stemmed where he was found.

This operation in Kargil area has already proved that IAF and over forty thousand troops have not gained any ground. The Indian claim of clearing the area of intruders in two days has been amended to read months. The massive concentration of Indian troops supported by air have presented good targets - the losses of Mujahideen honesty speaking are less than a score against the heavy casualty list of Indian forces which are baffled, nervous and helpless. Given the efficient political and diplomatic cover India will always find defeat in face of Pakistan's defence forces and Freedom Fighters. Will India add to their 700,000 troops against only 4000 Mujahideen in Kashmir who have denied the enemy pleasure of crushing the resistance movement which is indigenous, popular and strong. going into the eleventh year: towards victory - Insha Allah. Pakistan seeks peace with honour.