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The Rediff Special/ Colonel Anil Athale (retd)

Kargil: Surrender or Die

Kargil was certainly a 'wake up' call for the Indians, certainly for the monopolistic (empty) think-tanks in Delhi. But it must be stressed that it is no less a warning signal to the entire international community. Pakistani brigandage in Kargil is as perfidious as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and certainly more devious than the Soviet action in October 1962 when it placed short range missiles armed with nuclear weapons in Cuba.

As time passes and more details of involvement of regular Pakistani army in the intrusion come to light, the situation presents a grim picture of a state that is economically bankrupt, is wedded to medieval notions and ideology, and faces population explosion such as human history has never seen. The fact that this entity also has nuclear weapons should send shivers down the spine of not just Indians but the entire world.

Dr Henry Kissinger was rather prophetic when he wrote that within a few decades many Third World countries will possess the wherewithal to make nuclear weapons. 'But nuclear weapons in the hands of weak, irresponsible or merely ignorant governments presents great dangers' He goes on to say that therefore the US may well have to lay down the ground rules for their (nuclear weapons) graduated employment. Else, many areas of the world will begin to play the traditional role of the Balkans, the fuse that sets off a holocaust. (Foreign Affairs April 1956). Interestingly, the Kargil episode coincided with a crisis in the Balkans!

The resemblance between the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and the Kargil adventure are rather striking. It was a economically weak and militarily insecure (the Penkovsky papers released later showed that the so-called missile gap and Soviet superiority was a hoax) Soviet Union (Khrushchev or the military hawks?) that placed the missiles in Cuba to correct a perceived imbalance. In Kargil it is Pakistan that sensed that the proxy war in Kashmir was lost, ventured into Kargil, with doubts about the authorship of the move (the PM or the military?). In the Cuban missile crisis the US was firm that the only way to defuse the crisis was to remove those missiles, so is the Indian position today.

Where the two events differ is that today the world while bringing pressure on Pakistan is also simultaneously (privately) trying to find a 'face saving' way put for Pakistan. The safe corridor for retreat of intruders is one such measure. While in the initial stages that was indeed an option, but not today. After having shed a lot of blood and that too due to adherence to the tactic of not crossing the Line of Control, this is simply unacceptable to Indians, both soldiers and civilians. But even more importantly, a retreat will be soon paraded as a victory in Pakistan. Thus at some future date another Pakistani regime may well attempt a repeat. This is not in the interest of either India or the world.

The only way to make Pakistani people (let there be no doubt that the Kargil adventure enjoys widespread support there, 'wah.. wah' brigade of the Indian peaceniks notwithstanding) realise the enormity of their crime is to mete out suitable punishment.

The international community will have to move beyond words and impose economic sanctions on Pakistan. In addition there is a need to impose an arms embargo on that country. But besides that and in order to strengthen the forces of moderation in that country and reduce the influence of religious right, it is necessary to humiliate Pakistan militarily.

The best way to do it would be to give only two options to the intruders, surrender or die. Once the intruders surrender, those responsible for the mutilation and torture need to be tried under Indian law. The remaining 'soldiers' (not mercenaries) could be returned to Pakistan via the Wagah border, preferably by the same bus in which Vajpayee began his quest for peace. Anything less than this will be a betrayal of brave soldiers who have laid down their lives in Kargil so that we may live, peacefully.

Colonel Anil A Athale (retired), a Pune-based defence analyst, is a former head of the War History division at the defence ministry. He specialises in counterinsurgency and peace keeping operations.

The Rediff Specials

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