General observations

Does our political class have the bipartisan spirit to stand up against Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf8217;s brazen distortion of the nature and outcome of the Kargil war? This is an important question posed by former army chief General Ved Malik, who led the Indian military operations to evict Pakistan8217;s aggression in the summer of 8216;99. The general was speaking at our weekly interactive session, The Idea Exchange. It indeed is a pity that after a week of saturation coverage in the media on Musharraf8217;s outrageous comments on the Kargil war, no senior political leader from the UPA government has chosen to react. That the UPA was not in charge when this war took place is no excuse for the government not to challenge Musharraf8217;s lies.

The Kargil war, which saw extraordinary courage on the part of our armed forces in a very difficult terrain, is part of recent history. Hundreds of young Indian officers and men laid their lives in order to prevent a loss of territory in J038;K. The government8217;s refusal to rebut Musharraf8217;s claims of 8220;victory8221; in the Kargil conflict has the potential to send a negative signal to the armed forces and the public at large. For 60 years the armed forces have unquestioningly deferred to the Constitution and its emphasis of civilian control over the military. In return they expect, at the minimum, an unflinching defence of India8217;s military history and achievements.

One does not need to be a cynic to recognise that even in the middle of a war, democracies do not always suspend political squabbling. Even at the height of the Kargil war, Malik reminds us, the then ruling NDA and the opposition Congress, tried to play politics over the Kargil war amidst the impending general elections. Despite the relentless pressures to politicise every issue, the public expects the mainstream political parties to try and evolve a strategic culture that collectively celebrates the military triumphs and mourns the tragedies.