Table of Contents
When and Where?
When-May to July 1999 Where-LoC in Kargil and its surrounding areas, Northern part of J&K Operation Vijay – Indian Army Operation Safed Sagar – Air Force
Background
The northern areas of Jammu Kashmir were divided by LoC in 1947-48 war. In February 1999,PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Lahore and IndiaPak signed the Lahore declaration
Lahore Declaration, Feb 1999
- Avoid nuclear arms race and accidental operational use of nuclear weapons.
- Avoid non-conventional and conventional conflicts.
- Solve all disputes including Kashmir,peacefully
- Confidence building Measures (CBM)
Events leading to war
- Sometime between February and may, the high altitude Indian posts along LoC were occupied by Mujaheedin/tribal fighters/disguised Pak army units before their usual date in spring. They are noticed by local shepherds. India’s crucial link – NH1D – Srinagar to Leh runs near LoC and could be targeted easily from the occupied high peaks/posts. A major aim was to sever the link between Kashmir and Ladakh, cause India to withdraw from the Siachen Glacier, forcing India to negotiate a settlement of the Kashmir dispute Indian army and Air force launched their attacks on Pakistani positions in the region to recapture the higher posts. Until 4 July Indian army had captured strategic peaks like Tiger hill , Tololing and many more. Under US pressure (president Bill Clinton) ,Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif orders pull out of ‘troops’ on 4th July.
26 JULY- Kargil Diwas
Param Veer Chakra Awardees
- Manoj kumar Pandey
- Vikram Batra
- Yogender singh Yadav
- Sanjay Kumar
- Bofors FH-77B field howitzer helped India greatly.
- Israel helped India with ordnance and armaments , UAVs
- USA refuses GPS help- IRNSS
Aftermath
- Atal Bihari led NDA won 303 seats in the 13th Lok sabha elections in October 1999. General Parvez Musharraf staged a coup d’état against PM Sharif on 12 October 1999. Huge backlash in Pakistan over the Kargil blunder
Blame Game
Significance
- Only direct conflict between two nuclear capable nations
- Limited area of warfare
- High Altitude mountainous warfare
- US and west identified Pakistan as aggressor and condemned it.
- 1st time US was favourable to India First war beamed ‘Live’ to TVs in India.
War | Free PDF
By Dr. Mahipal Singh Rathore
Facebook Id-> facebook.com/mahipalsinghrathore
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