Essay on kargil war.
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The Kargil debacle of the year 2000 has been an eye opener for India - it has been as if an awakening calls for the armed forces of India and a call for stern action from the Government of India.
The relations of India and its neighbour Pakistan have never since the inception of Pakistan been cordial. However, the Kargil episode can be termed as "the last straw on the camel's back".
It is believed that, when the Indian Prime Minister was extending his hand of friendship to the Pakistan Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharif, almost simultaneously the plans of the Kargil onslaught were being finalised.
Is this from any stretch of imagination accord, a healthy meeting of two heads of two states - or, is it a clear cut stabbing at the back of India? As a layman reads of this unwarranted situation he can analyse for himself the real relationship between India and Pakistan.
On the peaks of Kargil, an India-Pakistan border area, Pakistan had set itself in a very comfortably strategic position, targeting all that was Indian, on the ground level. Being on a height, the Pakistani forces could destroy everything that it would see on the road underneath.
With this advantageous position, Pakistan was sure to score against India who, though caught napping and unawares took up the cudgels as soon and as well as possible. The Indian Air Force came to the country's rescue and from the height of the skies only, hit hard at the Pakistani forces. This is because it was only from the height of the skies could the height of the Kargil peaks be encountered.
This mini war lasted for a few weeks and as is usual with any battle or war both sides lost men and material.
However, the most important message that India could get from this war was that, India can never and should never trust Pakistan - its closest neighbour. For what could be a worse onslaught than attacking India while India was busy planning a deep and lasting friendship, through none other than the Indian Prime Minister.
This episode has definitely awakened India to some blatant facts about the relationship of India with Pakistan. Firstly, it tells India that it needs to be more cautious with Pakistan. Even regarding trust which one neighbour should have in the other neighbour, India should take it with a pinch of salt and, never yes never trust what is being done or said.
This is no bias as people may feel but, it is a lesson learnt from the unsavoury facts about the relationship. Besides, at this point of time, it is also very important for India to realise that, one sided relationships do not last for long.
Unless Pakistan also feels the need for friendship with India, it is no use only for India to try making continuous efforts in bringing the gap between the two ways of behaviours. India trying to let bygones be bygones and try to be friendly only depicts that, India is a weakling and is trying for selfish interests in the friendship with Pakistan.
Unless both extend their hands and both mean it, the attempt of India will always be futile. No one can force any friendship on any one, and least of all on a permanently hostile individual.
The only way out, in my view is to take the facts as they stand, and realise that we have a neighbour who does not like us at all. Yes, attempts can continue to bring round the neighbour, but not to such an extent that we appear to be weak and soft targets all the time.
We must, all the time remain alert and careful, and meticulously cautious. After the Kargil drama we learn that, the enemy has no qualms about how, when and why to hit India - his target is only to hit. The final and only word is - CAUTION.
Kargil War also called as the Kargil conflict,[note (I)] was an armed conflict between Indianand Pakistani forces that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district ofKashmir and along the Line of Control.[1] In India, the conflict is also referred to asOperation Vijay (Hindi: विजय, lit. "Victory") which was the name of the Indian operation to clear the Kargil sector.[2][3][4] The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and Pakistan backed militants into areas on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) to occupy military posts vacated in the winter.[3] India responded by launching a major military and diplomatic offensive to drive out the Pakistani infiltrators.[5]Reportedly, the Pakistan infiltration in the Kargil sector was reported by the local shepherds.[6][7] The Indian Army launched a number of patrols to the area to estimate the extent of the infiltration.[7] Initially, Pakistan blamed the fighting entirely on independent Kashmiri militants, but documents left behind by casualties and later statements by Pakistan's Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff revealed involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces,[8][9][10] led by GeneralAshraf Rashid.[11] The Indian Army, later on supported by the Indian Air Force, recaptured majority of the positions on the Indian side of the LOC within two months of the conflict that were trespass by the infiltrators,[12][13]according to official count, an estimated 75%–80% of the intruded area and nearly all high ground was back under Indian control.[14]Fearing large-scale increase in seriousness in the military conflict, the international community, led by the United States, increased diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to withdraw forces from remaining Indian territory.[5][15] Faced with the possibility of international separation, the already fragilePakistani economy was weakened further.[16][17] The morale of Pakistani forces after the withdrawal declined as many units of the Northern Light Infantry suffered heavy casualties.[18][19] The Pakistani government refused to accept the dead bodies of many officers,[20][21] which provoked anger and protests in the Northern Areas.[22][23] Pakistan initially did not admitted many of its casualties, but Nawaz Sharif later said that over 4,000 Pakistani troops were killed in the operation and that Pakistan had lost the conflict.[24][25] The Indian casualties during the conflict stood at 527 soldiers killed,[26][27][28]and 1,363 wounded.[29]
The conflict officially came to an end on July 26,[30][31][32][15] with India regaining its earlier hold on Kargil.[33] 26 July, since then, is celebrated in India every year as Vijay Diwas, or Victory Day.[30] India registered decisive military and diplomatic victory in the war.[34][35][36][37][38][39][31][40][41]
The Kargil war is one of the most recent examples of high-altitude warfare in mountainous terrain.