18/05/2015

Kargil:WhoandWhatisResponsible?byArunShourie

Kargil:WhoandWhatisResponsible?

ArunShourie

To attribute the occupation by Pakistanis of such extended stretches in Kargil to "an intelligence
failure"istoofacile.Itisanevasionanevasionofthebasiccause,anevasionofresponsibility.
The basic reason why we are always taken by surprise lies in the notions of political correctness in
which we have imprisoned discourse, and through that policy. Anyone who talks of the plans of
Pakistan, its singlepoint programme to harm India, indeed anyone who talks about anything to do
with our security is dubbed a warmonger. Agencies like RAW are routinely traduced. Hurling
allegationsatoursecurityforcesfabricationsabouthumanrightsviolationsbythem,andtherest
isderigueur.Whenpersonswhohaveputtheirlivesonthelinetosavethecountryareencoiledin
falsecasesasofficersandmenofthePunjabpolicehavebeenencoilednotasoulraisesafinger
tosupportthem.
Youcandoalittleexercise.LookuppapersorParliamentaryproceedingsofthelastyear,andfindout
whathappenedeachtimeMrLKAdvanidrewattentiontothecontinuingmurderousactivitiesofthe
ISI, and what they portended for the country, he was set upon in Parliament, in newspapers, in
public meetings. Warmonger, rightwing Hindu chauvinist, alarmist, deliberately embarrassing the
PrimeMinisterwhoistryingtoimproverelationswithourneighbour...
AtmyownminusculelevelIhavehadthisexperiencefirsthand.Ihavehadoccasiontowriteabout
the way Pakistan perceives itself as "the notIndia" about the sway that fundamentalism has
acquired there about how this is drilled into the populace from quaidas to history books about
what organizations like the LashkareTayyaba are openly proclaiming as their agenda to break
India,tokillHindukafirsaboutthevastresourcesandfacilitieswhichPakistan'srulingestablishment
ischannelingtothem.
Each of those writeups has been based entirely on published material, on material published in
Pakistan. But each time I have written on these things, I have invariably been set upon. He is
pursuinganantiIslamagenda,heisjustusingPakistanasadevicetomalignMuslimsandIslam,he
isouttocreatedisharmonybetweencommunities...
Considerarecurringexample.TodayweareveryexercisedaboutoccupationofsomespotsinKargilby
Pakistaniforces and mercenaries. They are a few hundred assume a figure higher than anything
anyone has mentioned as yet, say they are a thousand. The peaks where they have dug in are
isolated,uninhabited.RecallnowthatontheestimatesputtogetherbytheHomeMinistrynotnow,
but in 1992 over two crore Bangladeshis have made their way into India. As a result of this
demographicinvasion,largetractsofourcountryforinstance,inAssamaresuchthatthestate
police does not dare to even enter them. But the moment the matter is raised, the shout, "Anti
Bengali,""AntiMuslim"...
Thisshuttingofeyesisbeingmadeworsebythenewideology.Takeoutthenewspapersofthelast
three weeks, the period during which the enemy has been killing our soldiers, during which,
diplomateseapart,wehavebeeninvadedandhavebeenatwar.Totaluptherelativespacethatthese
papersdevotedtothecricketWorldCupandtothefightinginKargil.Now,itisnotthecasethatthe
country has suddenly become sportsminded during the last five years. It is just that corporations
invested vast amounts to make use of the event to advertise their products. Papers have reported
figuresranginguptoeighthundredcrores.Theseamountshavingbeeninvested,ahypeaboutitwas
created.
Onepartistheobscenityofit,Icanthinkofnootherword:thatoursoldiersshouldbelayingdown
theirlives,andourpapersshouldbewhippinguplatheraboutmatchesinEngland.Theotherthingis
theeffectsuchhypehason,literally,theabilityofacountrytoprosecuteawar.Riddinganareaso
remote, an area with terrain of the type Kargil has is not a oneday match. Every inch has to be
foughtfor,withlives.Theengagementisboundtotakelong.And,giventhesingularaimofacountry
likePakistan,wrestingtheareabackisnotgoingtobetheendofthematterbyanymeans:ensuring
http://arunshourie.bharatvani.org/print/19990614.htm

1/4

18/05/2015

Kargil:WhoandWhatisResponsible?byArunShourie

that Pakistan will not get an opportunity to reoccupy the place will require protracted, arduous,
meticulous work. A people who hear about Kargil for threefour minutes in the evening news, and
thensettledowntowatchtheday'smatchforfourfivehourswillneverhavethestayingpowerthat
defenceagainstafocused,indoctrinatedenemyrequires.
Itisthisatmospherenotjustthefailureofsomeoneagencywhichpavesthewayforanenemy.
MentalhabitsarefatalbythemselvesButsofeeblehasourStateandoursocietybecomethatwewill
not be able to put even crass selfinterest away for the defence of our land, certainly not in any
substantialway,certainlynotformorethanamoment.Takethefailuretodetecttheoccupation in
Kargilitself.Topreventintrusioninthatkindofarearequirescontinuousphysicalpresence.Itrequires
sophisticated equipment. Maintaining a presence in Siachin costs the country Rs 3.5 crores a day.
ArmymensaythatmaintaininganequivalentpresenceintheentireKargilareawillcostthreetofour
timesthatamount.Thatwouldamountto10to12croresaday.Apersonlikemecertainlybelieves
thatassuchamountsarerequired,theymustbeprovided,thatthewayweareplacedleavesusno
option. And the amounts can be found: half the total amount can be found by cutting just one
boondogglejusteliminatethe2croreswhichisplacedatthedisposalofeveryMemberofParliament
tospendon"developmentprojects"inhisconstituency.Youwillgetsixteenhundredcroresbydoing
justthatlittlething.
Buthereisanexercise.FindtheMPswhowillagreetoabolishthislargessetheyhaveconferredon
themselves.Orfindagroupwhichwillacceptareductioninthesubsidywhichithaswrestedfromthe
State.
So,whenwesaytherehasbeenan"intelligencefailure"wearestatinganimportantfact,butweare
also just using a phrase. By it we are evading the basic cause. We are diverting attention from our
ownresponsibilityinthematter.
Ihavealreadydealtwithwhathappenswhen,evenonsuchamatter,wedealwithourministersand
governmentsasiftheyweretheenemywhoistobetrapped,andmadeafoolof.Thatitself is just
thesymptomitresultsfromthebasicmentalfashion:nottobefindingfaultwiththosedefending
ourcountry,nottobedenouncingthosewhoarespeakingupforitisseenasbeingaprimitive.The
releaseoftheParvezMusharraftapesholdsanotherlesson.Atleastonoccasionweshouldhavefaith
inwhatourgovernmentsaresaying.Repeatedly,thePrimeMinisterandtheDefenceMinisterhinted
that what they had said about who had known what in Pakistan was based on evidence. But
pressmenandpoliticiansweresointentonfindingfaultthattheypaidnoattention.Andnow?
Asenseofpriorities,alittlefaith,andanevenmoreelementarything:alittlework.Pakistan,likeall
countriesinourneighbourhood,isimportantforourfuture.Buthowmanyofustakethetroubleto
readeventhenewspapersofPakistan?Iwillgiveanexampleofwhatwewouldhavelearntifwehad
beenglancingatthosepapers,andmakeaforecastbasedonthem.Thefirsthasadualadvantage:it
showswhatwewouldhavebeenalertedto,anditalsonailswhatPakistanhasbeentryingtocover
up.
In reading what follows please bear in mind that while small, stray news items had been appearing
earlier,itwasonlyonthe27thofMay,thedayafterairstrikeswerelaunched,thatKargilbecamebig
newsinourpapers.
On9April,1999,TheNationofPakistancarriedaninterviewwithZakiuRehmanLakhvi,theAmirof
theLashkareTayyaba, one of the most rabid organizations which has been spawned by Pakistan's
intelligenceagencies."WeareextendingournetworkinsideIndia,"hedeclared,"andhavecarriedout
various attacks on Indian installations successfully in Himachal Pradesh last year." An open,
unambiguousclaim.Alsoarevealingone,foritgivesusaglimpseintothementalityofthiskind:the
"installations"theyannihilatedwerepoorworkersconstructingaroadsuchistheirconceptofjihad
inthecauseofAllah!ButIamonanotherallusionintheinterview:thepaperreportedhimassaying,
"the task to hit specially the Indian artillery targeting Azad Kashmir's border population has been
given."
On7May,aproposnothing,TheNationsuddenlyreportedahugeattackfromIndia,andclaimedthat
it had been repulsed. It said that Indian forces had launched an unprovoked attack in the Shyok
sector,andthat"valiantPakistanitroops,displayingtraditionalcourageanddeterminationtodefend
everyinchofthecountry'sterritory,thwartedtheattackinwhichalargenumberofintruderswere
killedandseveralothersinjured.TheIndianArmywithdrewindisarrayandevenfailedtoretrievethe
bodies of its soldiers..." India denied any such attack, saying the Pakistanis had fired at a routine
http://arunshourie.bharatvani.org/print/19990614.htm

2/4

18/05/2015

Kargil:WhoandWhatisResponsible?byArunShourie

forwardpatrol.Butthepatrioticreportingtoldthetale:acasewasbeingprepared.
On15May,successesofthePakistaniArmywerebeingclaimedontheauthorityof"aseniorIndian
official"! "A senior Indian official," The Nation claimed in a dispatch datelined New Delhi, "confirmed
thattheArmyHeadquartersandtheMinistryofHomeAffairsreceivedamessageonMay13evening
that Pakistani troops had advanced in Kargil and wrested five posts in a 5 km radius from the
township...."CouldaPakistanicorrespondentreallyhaveaccessofthatkind?Would"aseniorofficial"
inNewDelhibesharingsuchinformationwithhim?
The News of 16th May was more specific. It reported ostensibly from Srinagar! that there had
beenintenseshellingand deployment by Indians, and said that these had come "amid reports that
Pakistani troops on May 14th captured a village after bombarding the frontier town of Drass, some
160 km southwest of Srinagar." "Some 40 shells pounded snowcovered Drass and adjoining areas
beforePakistanitroopstookcontrolofthevillagelocatedontheLineofControl."
Bythe17thofMay,severalpaperswereproclaimingtriumphs,andattributingthemnottosome
ghostlymujahidinbuttothePakistaniArmy."WithshellingandfiringbetweenPakistaniandIndian
troopsontheLoCcontinuingforthelastsevendays,"TheNationobservedinitseditorial,"ourforces
havecapturedanothersevenIndianpostsintheKargilsector...,capturedavillageafterbombarding
the frontier town of Drass..., and severely disrupted the Indian Army's logistics by taking control of
importantpassesintheKargilsector,chokingofftheJammuKargilhighway.TheIndiantroopsinthe
LadakhregiontooarefacingpressurefromthePakistaniforcesaswellasKashmirifreedomfighters...
ItisgratifyingthatthestateofpreparednessandcapabilityofourarmedforceshavepreventedIndian
adventurismontheLoCfrommakinganygains..."
That very day, that is on 17 May, The Frontier Post reported, "Indian troops after having been
defeatedintheKargilsectorwherethePakistanArmyseizedfiveveryimportantIndianpostswitha
radiusofmorethan28km,haveopenedfireinalmostall the sectors of the LoC... The gain of the
PakistanArmyatSiachinhasdisruptedthecommunicationsystemoftheIndiantroops..."
"WarbetweenIndiaandPakistanhasstartedintheKargilsector,"proclaimedtheJasaratof17May.
"AccordingtoArmysources,inthiswarsomespecialunitsofthePakistanArmyareparticipating as
theyarefullofmartyrdomsentimentsforthecountry..."
ThepaperfromLahore,Khabrain,reportedon18May,"TwelveIndianArmypostshavecomeunder
the control of Pakistani forces. The Indian Army movement on the LadakhSrinagar road has
completelystopped..."
In its editorial the next day, the Nawai Waqt said, "Clashes are continuing between the Indian and
PakistaniforcesalongtheLineofControlintheKargilsector..."
Reviewing developments over the preceding days, on 27 May, The Nation observed, " ...The
concentrationofIndiantroopsintheKargilsectorstartedtakingplaceaftertheysufferedheavylosses
atthehandsofthePakistanitroops..."
Nocircumlocutionaboutwhohadscoredthevictories,isthere?AscountriesbeganblamingPakistan
moreandmore,referencestothePakistanArmydisappeared,andwerereplacedby acclaim for the
socalledmujahideen!
Our Government had the Parvez Musharraf transcripts all the while. Their statements were in part
basedonthese.HadourpapersbeenkeepinguspostedaboutwhatwasappearinginPakistanipapers
wewouldhavebeenquiteuptodateonourown.
NorwouldwehaveneededanyconfidentialbriefingsaboutwhattheobjectiveofthePakistanArmy
has been. In prescribing what should be done, General Hamid Gul, the pir and ideologue of
fundamentalismwithinthePakistanArmy,revealedwhattheaimhasbeen.SpeakingtoNawaiWaqt
he said that Pakistani men who had occupied the heights in Kargil must at all costs be enabled to
continue there for four or five months. The area would become totally inaccessible after that. They
wouldthenbeabletochokeofftheIndianhighwaycompletely.IndiawouldhavetovacateSiachin,
andafterthatitwouldloseLadakh...
And now for the forecast. Look around Tamil Nadu. It is at peace. There are no communal clashes.
Therearenocasteclashes.ButlistentotheformerheadoftheISI,Lt.General(retd.) Javed Nasir.
The Jang of 23 April reported his talk to the Jang Forum. "Gen. Javed also said that if the Kashmir
http://arunshourie.bharatvani.org/print/19990614.htm

3/4

18/05/2015

Kargil:WhoandWhatisResponsible?byArunShourie

issue goes on for three years more, then Tamils will also rise against India and the country would
disintegratewithinthreeyears...."Thatisnotanastrologer'sforecast.Itrevealsoneofthekeyareas
thatISIisconcentratingon.Surprisedattheexplosivesthatkeepturningupinthestate?
Inaword,asenseofproportion,somefaithinouragenciesandauthorities,andalittleworkdon't
wait to get hold of some secret document, read what is being published. Specially what is being
proclaimedoverloudspeakersbytheopponent.

Intelligenceistooimportanttobelefttointelligenceagencies.
IndiaConnect
June14,1999

http://arunshourie.bharatvani.org/print/19990614.htm

4/4