On 26th July we take time each year to remember our heroes who gave their today, so others could have a tomorrow.
On the 26th of July it was the 26th anniversary of remembering India’s victory over Pakistan. In May of 1999 Pakistan initiated a unilateral declaration of war against India and attempted to take Indian Kargil. Typical of Pakistan, a nation that is built on lies, it was not surprising that at the outset itsaid it had nothing to do with the attack. In fact, they went as far as attributing this madness on independent Kashmiri insurgents (evidence shows that all such insurgents have always come from Pakistan).
Of course, one thing we know is that Pakistani lies always get exposed, as they did in this case as well. As it turned out, Pakistani troops left behind documents that proved their hand in this act of war. If this was not enough, to their own utter shame in later statements made by Pakistan's Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff,both confirmingthe involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forcesled by General Ashraf Rashid.
Over some 60 days of fighting that ensued, lives were lost on both sides. However, the inevitable happened on 26th July 1999 when Indian forces overwhelmed the Pakistani forces and ejected them out of Kargil. Operation Vijay was an outstanding success.Pakistan’s humiliating international climbdown became a national day of shame for them. One that lives to this day in their psyche. Mention Kargil to anyone in Pakistan, and everyone goes mad.
I also recall that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee informed the world about theterrorist nature of the Pakistani state. The USA, EU and the UN all attempted to brush this to one side. They all knew Pakistan was rapidly emerging as the epicentre for terrorism but chose ignorance to save their faces.
September 11, 2001, the west woke up to Islamist terrorism with the suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States. Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger planes in the United States.Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City, causing both towers to collapse. A third plane was crashed into the Pentagon, just outside Washington, DC. The fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania after the crew and passengers attacked the terrorists on board, preventing it from hitting another target thought to be the White House.
With thousands dead, and even more injured, with devastation to the iconic image of the Twin Towers and New York, the USA finally learnt what it’s like to be at the end of a terrorist attack. Of course being America, the west rallied behind it and in no time,and with fake intelligence on weapons of mass destruction, they attacked Iraqleaving in their trail 10’s of thousands dead and injured. Iraq and many parts of the middle east have never recovered from this western response to Islamists. Regime change became the key objective. If America didn’t like you, your days were numbered. Two decades of warfare by the west and with 100’s of billions of dollars expended, we still don’t have peace in the middle east. And equallysad, there is no western nation that is free from more terrorist attacks by Islamists.
With such a backdrop you would have thought the west, especially America, might have understood India better given the Pakistanhas constantly attacked Jammu and Kashmir. It seems lessons have still not been learnt by the west.
For India, let Kargil Vijay Divas always be a reminder that if it ever lowers its guard, then those who wish it harm will attack. As far as I am concerned, one more transgression by Pakistan should result in it being split into four pieces. And if the US, the UN or others don’t like, I think at that time India needs to show the proverbial two fingers to all of them.
Jai Hind.