A fitting response
Editorial
The Observer
May 28, 1999
Title: A fitting response
Author: Editorial
Publication: The Observer
Date: May 28, 1999
Occupation of the higher mountain reaches in the Kargil sector of
Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan-sponsored mercenaries had posed a grave
challenge. As the armed forces' spokesmen put it, there is no
question of allowing such provocative intrusions into the Indian
territory. Apart from the fact that these incursions constitute a
manifold threat to the security environment, the very presence of
these infiltrators in some strength represents an unacceptable
compromise of our national sovereignty. As such the response has to
be swift and appropriate. The combined forces' operations to flush
out the intruders by use of aerial bombardment and ground forces
launched since Wednesday satisfies that criteria.
Expelling the intruders would have not seriously tested our armed
forces, but for inherent limitations. The operation flush-out is
intended to be an affair localised on this side of the line of control
(LoC). This flows from two political imperatives. The first is
ensuring that the action dolls not escalate into a shooting war. The
second is to avoid dealing a death blow to the spirit of the recent
Lahore declaration via an uncontrolled escalation of tension, at least
from the Indian side. It is a different issue that those sponsoring
the infiltration of mercenaries to test the Indian political and
military will appear to be no more bound by such commitments and the
restraint and responsibility that go with it.
The nation must applaud the armed forces which are performing a
difficult mission within these self-imposed parameters. It is
gratifying that the discipline, courage and technical sophistication
of the armed forces are up to the job. Accurate air strikes against
targets at 16,000 feet and above elevations have reportedly begun to
take their grim toll on the infiltrators. It is only a matter of time
before the pinpoint aerial bombardment softens up the mercenaries.
Thereafter, the mopping up should be a cake-walk for our ground
forces. All the same, the armed forces would need to be on the alert
lest Pakistan entertain ideas of coming to the aid of their
agent-mercenaries, either directly or indirectly.
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