We Got Lucky: The 1999 India-Pakistan War Almost Killed Us All nationalinterest.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nationalinterest.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
General VP Malik, the Indian Army Chief at the time when the Kargil War broke out, affirms that the Indian troops must have been permitted to capture some territory along the Line of Control (LoC) ahead of agreeing to a ceasefire with the Pakistani side
Fightback: An adverse situation was turned into an emphatic win
General V P Malik, who was Indian Army chief when the Kargil conflict broke out in the summer of 1999, tells TOI how the conflict changed the rules of combat and India’s relationship with Pakistan
It’s been 22 years since the war. As you look back, what has been the biggest learning from it?
Operation Vijay was a blend of determined political, military and diplomatic action, which enabled us to transform an adverse situation into an emphatic military and diplomatic victory. Pakistan failed in its aims with considerable political and military costs. The Indian military, on account of poor intelligence and inadequate surveillance, took some time to reorganise and take appropriate counter action. But with military successes on the battlefield and a successful politico-military strategy, India was able to achieve its political aim and enhance its international image as a responsible, democratic nation, determined and
Synopsis
It was a lesson to see that an irregular or proxy war could escalate into a limited conventional war. Although possession of nuclear weapons has made an all-out war on the subcontinent less likely, so long as we have border and territorial disputes, Kargil-type military conflicts cannot be ruled out.
Fightback: An adverse situation was turned into an emphatic win
(This story originally appeared in on Jul 26, 2021)
General V P Malik, who was Indian Army chief when the Kargil conflict broke out in the summer of 1999, tells TOI how the conflict changed the rules of combat and India’s relationship with Pakistan