Kargil War: A saga of bravery
The Kargil conflict, is now 25 years old. It has inspired a generation of young soldiers since then and motivated many film makers to make movies based on Kargil. However, there is little doubt that the initial days when the first patrol of Capt Saurabh Kalia was captured alive by the enemy, we failed to effectively collate and analysis the intelligence available. The reason for kargil war to happen obviously manifested in cunning mindset of our adversary however that could not have been a surprise factor considering the dubious background Pakistan has always had. Kargil was followed by visit of our Prime Minister to Pakistan, simply put this means that we were stabbed in the back. Sometimes getting stabbed in the back is no excuse for being caught unaware, particularly when the enemy is known to be cunning.
Kargil was a saga of bravery of young soldiers that saved the day for our country. Pakistanis not only managed to have a few thousand of their soldiers, masqueraded as ‘jihadi’ militants, intrude into our territory but also managed to logistically support them for almost two months. Young officers of the Indian Army lead from the front and did what was almost considered unbelievable, uprooting the enemy from the heights.
Establishment and media at that time was able to generate enough support for the conflict and country came together as never before. The roads were full of people who wanted to support the forces in their effort. The alternate route to Kargil via Himachal was full of people donating money and women throwing their jewellery into the army trucks that went that way. This sense of National Pride was unmatched and unbelievable. The media also played an important role in showing the world as to what a life of a soldier is all about. Every day a new saga of bravery emerged and a new hero rose to the occasion, making India feel proud. Having said that, we must remember that we lost a bit too many soldiers.
Live coverage of interviews of our heroes like Vikram Batra and Manoj Pandey are an inspiration for us till date and have shaped the patriotic sentiment since then. Less credit than deserved has been actually given to the media for coverage of Kargil War, it’s their effort that generated a sense of ‘National Bonding’ doing the Kargil War. The famous war cry ‘Ye Dil Mange More’ is symbolic of our nations youthfulness and energy even now. It’s time Kargil War found mention in our history books now. A generation has passed and the new generation is hardly aware of Manoj Pandey and Vikram Batra.
The war was declared over on July 26, 1999, after the Indian Army successfully pushed back the Pakistani intruders however the echo of that victory will be heard for years to come. Fighting for ones country was given a new meaning by the young soldiers. One can’t help but remember the famous quote “And how can man die better facing fearful odds for the ashes of his fathers and temples of his Gods”. Many a young soldiers died fighting however they proved ‘their blood’. The war produced many Paramveer and the words of these Param Veers will keep producing gallantry soldiers in the years to come. A famous quote from Capt Manoj Pandey “If death strikes before I prove my blood, I promise, I will kill death”.
25 years have passed since then and most of the officers who fought the kargil war have since retired, however their tales of valour continue to enrich us. It’s time we heard these voices and be better prepared against our adversaries on the West and the North. We can not let our guard be down now. China threatens to do a ‘Leh’ every now and then, similar to what happened in ‘Kargil’. But this time around we better not be taken by surprise and give our adversary a bloody nose right upfront.
About the author
Lt Col Umang Kohli (Retd) is an army veteran who writes extensively on Defence and International Affairs
