overspill of the ‘Afghanistan’ dis-
order syndrome’. That is also
why it had to be defeated.

In parallel to the military, we
also had major diplomatic chal-
lenges on our hands. A firm sig-
nal had to be conveyed to Paki-
stan, as also a clear and unam-
biguous message to the interna-
tional community. Let us accept
that in today’s age no conflict,
least of all one between two
nuclear weapons possessing
states can escape global media
spotlight. This was an additional
and a new factor. Managing all
these required a qualitatively
new level of coordination be-
tween the two wings of the
South Block — the Ministries of
Defence and External Affairs.
This, too was achieved to de-
monstrable effect.

Of course, Kargil posed a chal-
lenge both to the substance of
our foreign policy as also to the
conduct of our diplomacy. The
Prime Minister had at the very
beginning directed the MEA that
the true challenge lay in turning
back the aggressor, in defeating
all his designs, in reversing the
aggression but with the maxi-
mum of restraint. The MEA had,
therefore, also placed before it-
self the objective of protecting
the international flank of the
MoD; so that our operations on
the ground and in the air could
go on unhindered. This was also
achieved in no insignificant
measure. The first requirement,
thus was establishing the fact of
Pakistan’s intrusion and aggres-
sion. | would venture to claim
that we succeeded in doing so.
The next requirement was to
spell our objectives with clarity,
consistency and candour. This
was done early, repeated when-
ever necessary and can be
summed up, sequentially, as the
following irreducible minimums.

Google

They were:

A] Pakistan’s armed intrusion
in Kargil will be evicted and
its aggression vacated. All
Pakistan regular troops and
extremist elements under its
command and control will
have to withdraw. For this
purpose, our armed forces
will take all necessary ac-
tion on our side of the Line
of Control.

B] Once this intrusion has
been cleared, Pakistan
would need to reaffirm the
inviolability and sanctity of
the Line of Control.

C] Dialogue, as part of the
Lahore process, which
afterall, was initiated by us
could only then be re-
sumed.

Our diplomatic machinery was
geared fully to convey these ob-
jectives to the international com-
munity, as being valid and wor-
thy of support. Continuous in-
teraction was maintained, with
all the major powers, and the
rest of the international com-
munity through our diplomatic
missions abroad, the diplomatic
community in New Delhi and
through personal interaction. It
is a measure of the justness of
India’s cause that what | have
cited above, as the irreducible
minimums, found such a large
community of countries stand-
ing up in support. Principally,
let me repeat, it was because
India’s stand was recognised as
just, thus it was acted upon. |
wish to also emphasize that the
importance of the inviolability
and sanctity of the Line of Con-
trol, for maintaining peace and
tranquility, was totally accepted
by the international community,
and Pakistan was held as hav-
ing violated this Line. Its efforts

at terming it as imprecise also
failed. Even more, the interna-
tional community accepted
India’s view that Pakistan was
guilty also of transgressing the
territory of trust. The interna-
tional community also con-
curred with our assertion that
Kargil was a manifestation of
this medieval malevolence spill-
ing over from Afghanistan, that
these were no freedom fighters,
thus there was a need to con-
front such impulses; in the in-
terest not just of our region but
of the larger global community.

It is noteworthy that under the
leadership of the Prime Minister
the Ministries of External Affairs
and the Ministry of Defence’
worked as one, the combined
synergy of which demonstrated
the true power and effectiveness
of the Indian State. This is, of
course, how it should be. But it
is a matter of satisfaction nev-
ertheless, that this was achieved
at a time of trial, a time which
tests the mettle of any
Government's machinery. In this
is also a lesson for the future.

There was an added dimension
to our total national endeavour.
It was the role of our media
during Kargil operations. It was
marked by exuberant enthusi-
asm bordering, at times, on the
reckless. These young men and
women of the media, who were
in Kargil brought the valour of
our troops, in the face of great
odds, directly into the homes of
our citizens. They touched our
hearts and eyes with the tales of
the bereaved and the families of
the fallen. This was our first ex-
perience of conflict in the TV/
information age. We learnt as
we went along. It would be no
exaggeration, therefore, to say
that the role of the electronic

See KARGIL, Page 4

INDIA NEWS ¢ August 15,1999 3