Kargil From Surprise to Victory

General V. P. Malik

Ved Prakash Malik

General Ved Prakash Malik (born 1

November 1939 in Dera Ismail Khan,

North West Frontier Province, Undivided

India now in Pakistan) served as the 19th

Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army

from 30-September-1997 till 30-

September-2000. He was Army Chief

during the Kargil War . He has received

the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the

Param Vishisht Seva Medal for

distinguished service to the Indian Army

and to the nation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kargil Town Panoramic View

What does this book Cover

• Account of India Pakistan War in Kargil in 1999

• Covers Pakistani intrusion and then Surprise/almost denial of Indian

establishment including Army, bureaucracy and polity

• Initial losses and then turning the Tide in extreme conditions of -30 to

-40 C; 20000 ft altitude, 80 degree gradient

• Covers other topics like logistic support, Army family support system

• Other points like china factor, Defence (lack of) preparedness, Indian

Army remains Apolitical, Beyond Kargil war

• The Information Battle

• Comments on Blow Hot Blow Cold Pakistan

The Kargil Calendar: War Chronology

Date Events

May 8-15 1999 Detecting the infiltrators by chance, the army admitted it was caught unawares

by intrusions; atop Kargil ridge and say 100 in number;

May 25 Army acknowledges 600-800 infiltrators in Kargil-Drass-Batalik sectors;

Immediately starts air strikes; Maintains alert on china border; 29 casualties & 30

injured reported;Tiger Hill, Point 5100 and Tololing specific objectives

May 26 On operation MiG-27 catches fire; Fl-Lt K. Nachiketa is taken POWby Pakistan;

MiG-21 on a rescue mission, shot down. Sqn Ldr Ajay Ahuja is captured and

killed and not taken POW. Srinagar airport closed.

May 28 Mi-17 helicopter shot down; IA withdraws choppers..

May 31 Vajpayee says it's a "war-like situation" in Kargil. As casualties mount, army halts

suicidal missions and says its wants time for a proper build-up.

June 13 Army captures Tololing Peak; Vajpayee visits Kargil amidst shelling

June 20– July 11 Indian Troops capture Point 5140 June 20; Tiger July 4, Batalik July 11

July 14 Vajpayee declares Operation Vijay a Success; July 26 is Kargil Vijay Divas

Fernandes Goof ups (link below) not documented in VP Malik Book; but gives credit to political leadership

especially Vajpayee and Brajesh Mishra ;Wants to avoid controversy

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kargil-war-chronology-how-it-was-won/1/255768.html

The Heros and some Film References

They gave supreme Sacrifice Capt Saurabh Kalia, Capt Vikram Batra, Cap Manoj Kumar

Pandey, Major Ajay Jasrotiya, Capt Anuj Nayyar, Major Vivek Gupta, Capt Vijayant Thapar

Special Mentions in the Book

Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav : Climbed Tiger Hill (Remember Hritik Roshan in Film

Laksha)

Rifleman Sanjay Kumar (Sunil Shetty in LOC Kargil)

Capt Vikram Batra (Abhishek Bachchan in LOC Kargil); (related Capt Anuj Nayyar not

highlighted; Saif Ali Khan in LOC Kargil; His Dad SK Nayyar played by Om Puri Dhoop)

Major Sudhir Kumar : Kargil hero, survivor but later attains martyrdom in J&K. Ashok Chakra

awarded

Kargil Heros

Book is full of heroic stories and peaks captured

Impact of Poor Defence Planning

Impact

START : Slippage in

modernization

Holding of Obsolete

equipment increases

Defencies of Arms,

ammunitions

Force Ratio shifts in favour of adversary

Effects Morale

Psychological rise of

adversary

The China Factor

Chinese Activities during 1999

• China Patrols Borders with India in Ladakh

• Start construction in Trig heights disputed area

• Road construction near Panngong Lake

China Pakistan Relations

• Provides military, technology

• Based on common strategic Requirement

• No Military manoeuvres during kargil or 65 or 71

China’s Strategic Outlook

• Influence India’s neighbors

• Unresolved boundary issue as per China (total border 4050 Km)

• Security of its Energy resources & sea routes most importance

The Information Battle

• Kargil War was First “TV War” started in 1991 during 1st Gulf war

• Initially wanted to stop Media but found impossible to do so hence completely

reversed its policy; Also realised that Delhi based PRO lacked any knowledge of

combat situation.

• India won the Information battle with

• Accesibility to media, transparency, daily media briefyings

• Avoided any rumors, disinformation campaign during Operation Blue Star,

Srilanka peace keeping force etc

• Nation came togather and surge in patriotism, moral support to soldiers

• Information Policy Directives

• Expose Pakistani Lies like their army not in operations

• Put across policy of restraint and support military actions

• Make people aware of our strength like high morale and gallantry of troops

• Convey news from war zone without compromising on security

• Give facts, do not deviate from truth and establish trustworthiness

The Kargil Impact

• At start (immediately after Lahore talks) India was very tentative about lack

of intelligence and Pak army masquerading as Mujahideen.

• India convinced the world it was victim of aggression

• Nuclear factor also played on minds of decision makers

• Never wanted the conflict to escalate and always worried of major power

intervening and early termination of war

• Initially US wanted both parties to show restrain; Attitude changed in June

• China did not react to Pak overtures on Kargil and advised them to pull back

• Nawaz lost his job in Pakistan! October 1999 Pakistan General Mushrraf

ousted Nawaz Sharif ; VP Malik was surprised it took so long (3 months) !