archive: Tiger Hill victory 'greatest event since Bangladesh war'
Tiger Hill victory 'greatest event since Bangladesh war'
UNI
Rediff on Net
July 6, 1999
Title: Tiger Hill victory 'greatest event since Bangladesh war'
Author: UNI
Publication: Rediff on Net
Date: July 6, 1999
Former chief of army staff, General (retired) Shankar Roy Chowdhury
has said the recapture of the strategic Tiger Hill is the '''greatest
event for the Indian Army since the Bangladesh war''.
''It was a tremendous victory of our armed forces. I am delighted, and
proud of our boys who have done the job,'' he said in Calcutta.
''I was very confident that they would recapture the very important
and strategic location up on the mountains. It was a well co-ordinated
move and the result has come ultimately. By any yardstick it was the
greatest thing to happen since the Bangladesh victory,'' he said.
Terming the Indian forces as ''one of the very best in the world,''
the general, who has recently been named as the consensus candidate
for a Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal, however, ruled out the
possibility of a nuclear war on the Kargil issue.
''The intruders have already paid very heavily for their misadventure
and I do not think they would make any more mistakes,'' he said.
Asked how long the 'war' at Kargil might continue after the recapture
of Tiger Hill, the former army chief refused to set any deadline. ''It
is very difficult to pinpoint the end of such situations. But,
obviously, the sooner it is, the better for all of us,'' he said.
To another query on whether the Indian Army, after pushing back the
Pakistani-backed intruders across the Line of Control, should also
cross it themselves to consolidate their strategic gains, he replied
in negative and said, ''our first aim should be to recapture the
entire LoC in Kargil, Drass and Batalik sectors to prevent more
casualties.''
However, with the recapture of Tiger Hill, the strategic Srinagar-Leh
highway would now be free from any attacks from the intruders. ''We
shall now be able to monitor the movement on the highway from atop the
hill,'' he said.
About Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief's sudden visit to the
United States, he said it seemed to be yet another attempt to seek
international mediation on the Kargil issue.
He also ruled out the possibility of opening any other front by the
intruders to keep the issue alive.
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