The wounds that Kargil war inflicted on the Indian psyche is not over yet. India lost about 5000 soldiers in what was absolutely a nonsense war. India received many back-pats from international community for not going overboard and crossing the Line of control and averting a possible nuclear war with Pakistan. But by not crossing the LOC, our soldiers was seriously crippled and the enemy was firing down at them. The war ended and India emerged victorious, both in Military and diplomatic front but at a very dear cost.
Similar concerns are expressed by top military officials about the proposed de-militarization of Siachen Glacier, the highest battle point.The Agra summit of Gen. Parves Musharaff and the then Indian P.M. A. B. Vajpayee led to the Kargil infiltration. After the summit, both nations started walking on a new peace path and exploiting this lower vigilant situation, Pakistan army and the dreaded ISI pushed the infiltrators across the border. Most of the enemies killed that operation was regular soldiers of Pakistan, however hard they deny it.
Now, is Pakistan trustworthy anymore? What had changed since? The General is still at power, ISI still actively pushing terrorists to Kashmir, Pakistan Military still fires at Indian post, though in a less frequent manner. India still sees Bomb blasts and other terrorist activities; terrorist outfits still operate at PoK. So why India should trust Pakistan and de-militarize Siachen? Why they wouldn’t attempt a Kargil in Siachen?
Even the international community eyes Pakistan with some suspicion. They all know that Pakistan, as a nation, can’t be taken seriously in their promises. America, the biggest ally of Pakistan, is shifting its allegiance eastward. After the A. Q. Khan episode, their credibility has taken a further beating. The only thing why America still engages Pakistan in its war on terror is the fear of its own security. If America doesn’t keep tabs on Pakistan, the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan will end up in extremist hands and it will be a disastrous situation. There is no stability in Pakistan. Democracy is still in it’s infancy stage there and it’s an open battle for power between Extremists who wants to make another Taliban and the Military. Their economy is in tatters. Anarchy rules. The arm of law doesn’t reach its tribal areas.
The military’s concerns must be taken seriously. If they feel Siachen shouldn’t be vacated, it shouldn’t be. Period. No political brownie points are worth the national security. We don’t want to send our soldiers to a war that can be avoided in the first place. Don’t pull them out because later they have to go again, but then the enemy will be waiting there.
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