Frozen drops of blood on the icy heights are no less than garlands woven by the bravehearts for the beloved motherland — Bharat. The winds blowing at the highaltitude battlefield of Kargil, Drass, Batalik, Turtok etc still sing paens in honour of the brave Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice guarding the land from the Pakistani military aggression in 1999. The soil and boulders are still preserving the tale of heroic resolve of Indian soldiers. The memorial at Drass has become a junction of the past and the present, as it transmits the stories of valour to the younger generation and keeps the flame of inspiration burning in the hearts of Indians. The well-laid roads convey to the visitors the story of transformation of border area infrastructure. This, in summary, is how the areas that saw the Kargil war of 1999 look like after 25 years. But, what exactly happened 25 years ago? Did it begin only 25 years ago or before that? A lot has been documented about the tales of valour of the Indian soldiers once the element of surprise due to Pakistan’s breach of trust vis-a-vis vacating the high-altitude posts during winters was concerned. They are indeed important. But, it is equally important to understand in some measure why the vast area now popularly referred to as Kargil is strategically so critical for India’s security. For, the past serves as prologue to the present, and the present prepares the ground for the future.

 

In 1999, a mix of soldiers from a few battalions of Pakistan’s Northern Light Infantry (NLI), several jehadi militants, and members of Pakistan’s Special Services Group (SSG) had infiltrated through the gaps between Indian defence in one of the most rugged and difficult terrains of the world. They occupied dominating positions at heights between the Line of Control (LoC) and Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway 1-A. Pakistan had done this despite agreement with India that both sides would not occupy the high-altitude posts between September 15 and April 15 due to inclement weather conditions. But, Pakistan being Pakistan, it jettisoned the convention and prepared the plan of intrusion into the Indian territory with three clear objectives. These objectives shed light on the significance of the territory along the LoC. The first objective of Pakistan was to turn Indian defences by getting control of Turtok and isolate Siachen. The second objective was to cut off National Highway 1-A and isolate Ladakh region. And, the third was to unilaterally alter the status of LoC for strategic gains.

 

The first objective had some background too. Since long, unease has become a defining characteristic of Pakistani military establishment and fundamentalist groups. For, India gave Pakistan a bloody nose repeatedly, may it be attempt at invasion in 1947-48, or subsequent misadventures in 1965, 1971, or later in Siachen. General Pervez Musharraf, who masterminded the Kargil intrusion of 1999, was a Brigadier heading Pakistan SSG which made several failed attempts to evict the committed Indian soldiers from Siachen glacier region in 1987. Pakistan made the attempts as its military’s movement to Siachen was preempted by India, which occupied Saltoro Ridge and dominating positions in Siachen. For India, this pre-emptive move through ‘Operation Meghdoot’ was necessitated because of Pakistan’s nefarious plan in the region taking advantage of ‘cartographic error’. As has been pointed out in his insightful book Anger Management by Ajay Bisaria, former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan and a key aide to the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee from 1999-2004, “Declassified records showed that a US State Department geographer Robert D Hodgson was responsible for this ‘honest cartographic mistake’. Pakistan’s claim over lands north of (Point) NJ9842 and the Karakoram Pass was based on the claim that several foreign cartographers had represented this territory on their side. This assertion later was shown to be legally untenable.” Since India had surprised Pakistan by occupying the Siachen heights first, it went into Pakistani military psyche as a point of revenge with India after the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

 

The Indian troops are positioned at heights ranging from 16,000 ft to 21,000 ft, making Siachen the highest battlefield in the world! The temperatures in this snow-covered desolate terrain, which is also one of the biggest freshwater sources in the world, average minus 45 degrees centigrade in winters. That the Indian soldiers are still holding the positions speaks of their determination. Over the years, India has streamlined supply lines to Siachen. It is in this context that Pakistan wanted to isolate Siachen by getting control of Turtok. Another objective was to isolate Ladakh. It is well known that China is illegally occupying Aksai Chin area of India, and has built a road through it to Tibet. It is to strengthen its position in this illegally occupied area that the Communist China frequently violates the Line of Actual Control (LAC). In the past years, another dimension has been added to it. Partly financed by China, the Karakoram Highway winds its way from Pakistani capital of Islamabad, skirts India’s western borders, passes through Hazara, Chilas, and Gilgit, then goes north over the Karakoram Range via Hunza, and enters into Tibet through Khunjerab Pass. Thus, if connectivity to Ladakh was severed, it would mean closer and deeper nexus between Pakistan and China as far as Pakistan to Tibet connectivity for China was concerned. The third objective of Pakistan was to unilaterally alter the status of LoC in its favour. Though it was militarily untenable, the insults in 1971 and 1984 blinded General Pervez Musharraf and he decided to execute the long-held ‘Kargil Plan’. But, what he and other radical thinking leaders in Pakistan failed to gauge was that the Indian soldiers had proved their steel and determination through previous wars.

 

The grit and valour of the Indian soldiers, strategic planning by Indian military leadership, incremental and exponential growth in Indian air and naval power, and the ability of Indian citizenry to unite as one nationalist unit when facing an external threat, were underestimated by Pakistan. Obviously, the result was for all to see. India gave a fitting reply to Pakistan one more time in Kargil War of 1999. But, this time, India resolved to learn from the experience and formulate some reforms at various levels. As a result, now the Indian military’s command and control structure is better organised. The border area infrastructure in areas facing the threat from China and Pakistan both has been improved greatly in the past 25 years since Kargil War. The supply lines have been streamlined further, the communications have undergone a sea-change with induction of advanced technology. The training of Indian soldiers in high-altitude warfare also has evolved into world-class standard. The India doctrine has changed from being an air power to an aspiring aerospace power.

 

The naval warships are being made indigenously. Several defence items are being produced indigenously. Diplomatically also, India has expanded the influence internationally to the extent that Pakistan and China are getting isolated on occasions. However, a hungry man is more prone to committing a crime. Similarly, a rogue and failed State like Pakistan can never be trusted to mend its ways. With growing fundamentalism, radical elements taking control over its military mindset, and aid from ‘all-weather friend’ called the Communist China, India can never afford to be off guard. And, it never will remain off guard! (Pics: Kartik Lokhande)