Every year, India celebrates ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ on July 26 to commemorate India’s triumph over Pakistan in Kargil War in 1999. Twenty-Three years back, India succeeded in throwing Pakistani forces from their inhabited positions on mountain tops of the Northern Kargil District in Ladakh.Recalling the Kargil war
The Kargil Vijay Diwas honours those who sacrificed their lives during the Kargil War. On this day, The Prime Minister of India pays tribute to the heroes at Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate every year.
The Whole Story (Recalling the Kargil war)
Recalling the Kargil war
It’s a day of the infidelity of Pakistani forces who defied the 1999 Lahore Declaration and crossed the Line of Control(LoC) in the Mushkoh-Drass-Kargil-Batalik sectors. Their sole motto was to capture the Indian territories in the Ladakh sector.Kargil Vijay Diwas: President Murmu, PM Modi pays tribute to Soliders!
The Pakistani Army led by Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf, and his accomplice Chief of General Staff Mohammad Aziz were too brazen to do this. They were too convinced that the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee wouldn’t counterattack in response. In case this happens, this would lead to nuclear weapon attacks between the nations. And, this won’t be allowed by the powerful country US.
What Actually Happened?
Recalling the Kargil war
However, to their astonishment; the Indian Government retaliated. Indian Cabinet Committee headed by PM Vajpayee behest of the Indian Armed Forces to overthrow the Pakistani Army Forces. Hence, in no time Pakistani forces were doomed.Â
Lessons Learnt from the war (Recalling the Kargil war)
Delay in Involvement of all the arms of the Indian Armed Forces
Several cabinet approvals led to the IAF joining the Indian Army a week later. This led to a delay in the joining of the Air Forces with the Indian Army.
A quick decision in a critical situation requires several measures. The time when the country needs its Military Armed Forces the most to stop the intruders from capturing our territory.Â
Urgent need for Formation of Chief of Defence Staff
An urgent need for structures to inculcate the association and jointmanship of all the three wings of the Indian Armed Forces- Army, Navy and Air Wing.Â
However, it only came into being in 2020, twenty-one years later from the war when it actually transpired.Â
His tenure commenced from January until an unfortunate incident took his life in December 2021. He died due to a helicopter crash which killed him and also his wife. With this not only did their children become orphans but also India lost its great leader.
Presently, General Manoj Mukund Narvane is the working Chief of Defence Staff.
Need for compact Joint Military Theatre CommandsÂ
The integrated battleground is being discussed internally, but joint military commands are still needed. India is one theatre and consequently one command should be there, according to a section of the top brass. Â
A statement on Sunday by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh suggested this.He was delivering a speech in Jammu in honour of the Kargil heroes. At that time only, he mentioned that India will have joint theatre commands of tri-services.Â
This also proclaims an indication of future military reforms in the country.
Mechanism to counter other significant topics
India is also in need of a panacea for evolving crimes with technology like Cyber crimes, stealing of data as well as espionage threat to country.
Upon becoming Prime Minister in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a change. This proposal stated that two major intelligence services of India should join hands to counter action-intelligence as well as counterintelligence.
