Don’t make Kargil poll issue, say martyrs’ kin

Col Hardev Singh Dhaliwal from Mohali, who lost his son, Major J.D.S. Dhaliwal, in the conflict, categorically said that the parties should desist from making Kargil a poll issue. "Though this is bound to happen during these elections, the parties should not try to further their political gains by raking up the Kargil issue," he added.

Father of Major Harminder Pal Singh from Mundi Kharar reinforced the above in saying that Kargil victory should not be exploited politically. "The ruling party’s prime focus at this time should be to ensure uniformity in compensation to the relatives of the who had died while fighting insurgents anywhere in the country."

"We understand that the major parties are trying to gain political mileage out of the Kargil conflict, but all the forces should concentrate on the welfare of the soldiers’ families by cutting across their ideological lines," Naresh Singh, brother of Lance Naik Narata Ram, from Thana Govindpur village near Kurali said. "To fight elections by enlisting achievements is natural, but no party should drag the names of the martyrs in this electoral tussle," he added.

Justifying the Election Commissioner’s directive asking the ruling BJP not to screen documentaries on Kargil, Sukhmani Sewa Society president Jagmohan Singh and the vice-president Nirmal Singh said they had made it a point not to invite any political figure in today’s function.

"We did not want any politics in a function that was meant to offer prayers for the slain soldiers," then added.