Eighteen years ago on this day the mighty Indian Army proved that “It’s impossible for Pakistan to get into a conventional conflict with Indian Army and survive it”. While PM Narendra Modi hailed the bravery of the armed forces and said Kargil Vijay Diwas reminds us of India’s military prowess, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley paid tributes to martyrs at the Amar Jawan Jyoti in New Delhi & whole country today is taking pride of eighteen years of Indian army chasing out Pakistani “Northern Light Infantry” who were named as “Mujahedeen” by Pakistan and did not accept their dead bodies.
On 29 September, eleven days after the Uri attack, the Indian army said it had conducted “surgical strikes” against Pakistan that was the 2nd time when the nuclear bubble of Pakistan was busted, first being Kargil War itself.
Backstabber:
US congressman Ted Poe called Pakistan a backstabbing nation while we knew this before. During the winter season, due to extreme cold in the snow-capped mountainous areas of Kashmir, it was a common practice for both the Indian and Pakistan Armies to abandon some forward posts on their respective sides of the LOC and to reduce patrolling of areas that may be avenues of infiltration. When weather conditions became less severe, forward posts would be reoccupied and patrolling resumed.
During February 1999, the Pakistan Army began to re-occupy the posts it had abandoned on its side of the LOC in the Kargil region, but also sent forces to occupy some posts on the Indian side of the LOC. Troops from the elite Special Services Group as well as four to seven battalions of the Northern Light Infantry (a paramilitary regiment not part of the regular Pakistani army at that time) covertly and overtly set up bases on the vantage points of the Indian-controlled region.
Indian Tri-forces
Army : India responded with Operation Vijay, a mobilisation of 200,000 Indian troops. However, because of the nature of the terrain, division and corps operations could not be mounted; the scale of most fighting was at the regimental or battalion level. In effect, two divisions of the Indian Army,[1] numbering 20,000, along with several thousand from the Paramilitary forces of India were deployed in the conflict zone. The Indian Army moved into the region in full force. Soon, the intruders were found to be well entrenched and while artillery attacks had produced results in certain areas, more remote ones needed the help of the air force.
Indian Airforce : Since the terrain was hostile we needed air support and Air Force leaped in with the full force launching “Operation Safed Sagar” The first strikes were launched on the 26 May, when the Indian Air Force struck infiltrator positions with fighter aircraft and helicopter gunships. The initial strikes saw MiG-27s carrying out offensive sorties, with MiG-21s and (later) MiG-29s providing fighter cover. Mil Mi-17 gunships were also deployed in the Tololing sector.
Srinagar Airport was at this time closed to civilian air-traffic and dedicated to the Indian Air Force. None of the gunships were capable of combat at that height thus Indian Air force modified MI 17 to launch the offensive sortie and almost did it but 1 of the 4 chopper was hit by 3 stinger missiles and was down.
On 30 May, the Indian Air Force called into operation the Mirage 2000 which was deemed the best aircraft capable of optimum performance under the conditions of high-altitude seen in the zone of conflict. Armed initially with 250 kg “dumb” bombs, No. 7 Squadron led by Wg Cdr Sandeep Chabra over three days, struck infiltrator positions in Muntho Dhalo, Tiger Hill and Point 4388 in the Drass Sector. The strikes on Muntho Dhalo on 17 June also destroyed logistics and re-supply capabilities of the infiltrators in the Batalik Sector. Through the last weeks of June, the Mirages, armed with LGBs as well as with “dumbs”, repeatedly struck the heavily defended Tiger Hill.
With love from Raveena Tondon
Captain Sachin Nimbalkar and his men were stuck behind large rock on a tiny ledge on a sheer cliff face for 3 days. During this time the Pakistanis taunted them to take Adhikari’s body. They used to taunt Mare hue ko lejao agar mard ho to nahi to hum inhe de denge MADHURI aur RAVEENA ko hume de do bas”.
To which Indian Air Force responded “With Love from Raveena Tandon to Nawaaz Shareef”
Indian Navy :
Kargil war has seen active participation of Indian Army & Air Force but very few of us knew about Navy.
The Indian Navy also prepared to blockade the Pakistani ports (primarily the Karachi port) to cut off supply routes under Operation Talwar. The Indian Navy’s western and eastern fleets joined in the North Arabian Sea and began aggressive patrols and threatened to cut Pakistan’s sea trade. This exploited Pakistan’s dependence on sea based oil and trade flows. Later, then-Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif disclosed that Pakistan was left with just six days of fuel to sustain itself if a full-scale war had broken out.
The victory came at a high price. The official death toll on the Indian side was 527
War of 1000 cuts
PAKISTAN has been following a policy of a”thousand cuts,” against India. Though for Pakistan it has been a cheap option, it has created a sort of siege mentality within India. Unfortunately, India’s response to counter this, “cheap option” has been increased deployment on the borders etc. To secure the bases of the Indian Air Force would cost Rs 8,000 crore and those of the Indian Navy Rs 7,000 crore. A committee under a former Vice-Chief of Army Staff has been constituted to review security arrangements at military establishment. Its recommendations may result in substantial financial outlays.
While these measures will impose heavy financial cost, yet a large number of other civilian targets (including schools) will remain vulnerable to terrorist strikes.
If Pakistan persists with this policy of, a “thousand cuts,” against India, then Pakistan must be made to suffer much pain. It is time for India to make it clear to Pakistan that terrorism and treaties cannot go hand in hand. While India will certainly retaliate to cross-border terrorist attacks, Pakistan and the World Bank need to be put on notice that the Indus Water Treaty and terrorist strikes cannot cohabit.
You and Me we all are warriors
Theory of thousand cuts also uses propaganda against the nation as a tool to create a divide. Today this theory of thousand cuts has been brought to your living room through “paid media” and social network.
As Major Gaurav Arya Says in one of the TED talks that if someone is talking against country, national flag & national anthem do not take it. We all are good at the art of modern day sarcasm called trolling. Lets give it back to them !!
Jai Hind Vande Matram !!