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JAMMU & KASHMIR The New Minefields Diversion of troops to the LoC leaves the state vulnerable to the renewed proxy war by Pakistan. By Harinder Baweja White flags came up all along the Line of Control (LoC). The withdrawal seemed to be going according to plan till advancing ground troops discovered that the flags had been put up by the retreating Pakistanis on Indian territory. There was another catch: apart from heavily mining the areas as they retraced their steps, the infiltrators continued to occupy some of the heights. It was not just a case of last-minute hitches. Pakistan was still trying to prove the point that while the LoC is delineated on maps, it is not demarcated on the ground. And as artillery fire broke the eight-day silence that had descended on the battleground, Army Headquarters sat down to analyse the new twist Pakistan was adding to Kargil, especially in the Mashkoh sector. Mashkoh valley is strategically located. Says an intelligence officer: "The ridge which provides easy access to the Valley is an old infiltration route and Pakistan is trying to change its war theatre." Humiliated militarily and diplomatically, it's trying to score last-minute victories by holding on to positions within 500-800 m of the LoC. This proximity makes it difficult for the Indian Air Force to pound them, for that would mean crossing the LoC and that's just the kind of provocation Pakistan has in mind. But even as it pins the army down in Kargil, Pakistan has already opened a new minefield in the Valley and the adjoining areas of Doda and Poonch. Even when the Kargil war was on, foreign mercenaries struck in Doda and Anantnag killing 38 people. And recently, the first suicide squad made its appearance in Bandipore where it attacked a Border Security Force residential complex. Last week, they struck again in Doda and Poonch, killing 19 people.While the attacks on soft targets were expected, what is worrying the Jammu & Kashmir Government is the brazenness with which the mercenaries are striking. Instead of the usual tactics of ambush and cross-firing, the militants are now engaging the security forces in close combat. They did that in Bandipore by entering a high-security area. In Doda too, they attacked members of a village defence committee (VDC), engaging them throughout the night till the vdc members ran out of ammunition. The massacre took place because the militants are aware of the shortcomings in the security apparatus. The nearest CRPF picket only 2 km away was manned by personnel who are new to the area and the Kashmir problem. If violence is increasing, it is because of the huge gaps in the security grid. As many as 58 army battalions -- 58,000 troops -- have been diverted from internal security duties to Kargil. To make up for the absence of the army -- which till Kargil was actively involved in counter-insurgency operations -- the Centre has sent only 24 CRPF battalions. Significantly, the CRPF, which was earlier used for guarding sensitive installations, is now in charge of battling insurgents in areas it has not patrolled. Says state Director-General of Police Gurbachan Jagat: "There are scores of intercepts in which Pakistan is instructing the militants to get active on the ground." At this time of the year, foreign mercenaries normally make the mountainous regions their homes, from where they came down for specific tasks. This time, however, most of them are in the lower reaches, mingling with the local population in towns and villages. A dangerous trend, because as a senior police officer put it, "They have finally, through Kargil, succeeded in driving the army out of the state." The army withdrawal has also come at a time when Pakistan plans to avenge its humiliation in Kargil. Worse, with the Home Ministry refusing to concede the state Government's request for more troops, the situation will only deteriorate. What is worrying the state Government is an indication from the Centre that it would not be able to provide any more troops even for the elections. With the state already witnessing a spurt in violence -- which is expected to rise -- it won't be a case of white flags. Not internally at least. FROM DEATH'S DOOR
Dear Papa Hope this letter finds you in the best of health and spirits. Thanks for your letter and card dt.14 June 1999...We are already getting ready for our next task. Our unit now has to live up to the higher expectations of the Army, Regt, as well as the media. You know what, even the Chief sent a letter of congratulations to the unit. It was indeed an honour for our unit to have been given such a task. Hard work and a sound ethos does have its merits, don't you think? We now have to work harder to preserve the hopes and aspirations of our well wishers. Please don't worry about casualties. It's a professional hazard which is beyond our control, so why worry; at least it's for a good cause. In the Bhagwad Gita Lord Krishna briefs Arjun on the following lines: Hato va prapyasi swargam, Jitva va bhokshijasey mahim, taduthisht kaunteya, yudhaya kritnishchayaha. ("Die and you will go to heaven; conquer and you enjoy sovereignty of the earth; therefore, stand up, Arjuna, and fight with determination.") No we are not air maint(ained), but food is good and we have a Bengali doctor if not Chinese. Yes the PM's Kargil visit was a good motivation. Good chap. I am quite a sight now with an unkempt beard and vaseline cream all over my ugly face to counter the icy winds. Please tell manam (his mother) that combat is an honour of a lifetime and I would not think of anything less. What better way to serve the nation. I am proud to be in the Infantry and esp(ecially) in our illustrious Bn (battalion). Take care of your health as well as manam's. Don't worry and lose sleep. Tell a story a day of the Mahabharata to Charu (his wife), so that your grandchild imbibes good values. Jai Mataji ki. Yours affly |
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What motivates a soldier
to die willingly for his country? A letter written to his father by Major
Padmapani Acharya, 31, a hero of the battle for Tololing, before he died on June
28, gives an insight. Commissioned to the 2nd Rajputana Rifles in 1993, Acharya (Babloo to
his family), married Charulata in January 1996. She is expecting their first child in
September. When India Today photographer Dilip Banerjee met Acharya after the Tololing
assault, the major revealed that he had a bet with his wife that the baby would be a girl.
A test showed that he had lost and he owed Charulata a gold necklace. Acharya told
Banerjee to tell his family in Hyderabad that he was well. Which he did. A week later
Acharya died -- in hand-to-hand combat after killing four intruders -- on a knoll near
Tololing. Excerpts from his last letter: