The government forced July 26 to be celebrated as ‘Vijay Diwas’ to mark one year after the so-called victory at Kargil. Besides, the fact that this war was of no benefit to the people of India and Pakistan, and was a fight between the ruling classes of the two countries, even by the Indian government’s standards, it was a miserable failure.

The said purpose of the war was to beat back Pakistani ‘infiltration’, which specifically gained access to the National Highway IA — the main road artery linking the defence outposts in that part of Indian occupied Kashmir. But although Peak 5353 is well inside the LoC (Line of Control), Pakistani troops held the mountain through the Kargil war — and continue to do so today. From Peak 5353 Pakistan can direct artillery fire on 20 kms of National Highway IA, and cripple Indian defence positions from Mushkoh to Bimbet. Put simply, the Pakistan occupation of Point 5353 means that Operation Vijay’s core objective in Drass of securing the highway, had failed.

Infact, in this sector, besides two secondary positions on the Marpo La ridgeline, Indian troops had even failed to evict Pakistan from the neighbouring Point 5240. When news reached Indian Defence headquarters of a US-brokered peace, the troops were ordered to quickly seize these key peaks. Unable to capture these, the Indian troops seized, instead, two peaks (4875 and 4251) on the Pakistan side of the LoC.

In August ’99, the Indian government tried to surreptitiously strike a deal with Pakistan to exchange control of the two peaks it held within Pakistan for 5240 and 5353. Finally, an agreement was struck that all four peaks would remain unoccupied, and troops on both sides withdrew. This was not ideal for India, as control of the strategic peak 5353, was fundamental to prove a ‘victory’ of Operation ‘Vijay’.

So, in end October, Indian troops were told to stealthily seize 5240 and 5353, breaking the terms of the August agreement. They occupied 5240, but there was a delay in occupying 5353. A week later when Pakistan saw troops on 5240, and the agreement violated, they immediately occupied 5353. Now 5353 has been thoroughly fortified. Ironically, the July 26 ‘Vijay Diwas’ military celebrations at Drass, took place within easy range of Pakistani artillery fire, and in full view of Pak troops perched on peak 5353.

So, not only was the ‘Vijay Diwas’ celebrations, an obnoxious scheme to further whip up a big-nation chauvinistic phobia, it was an outright hoax. This LoC, which is a British colonial legacy, has been conveniently left vague, to allow for continuous border skirmishes between the ruling classes of the two countries. While the rulers of both countries, utilise such conflicts to divert people’s attention from the problems created by their respective governments, the Indian rulers seek to also further their expansionist goals in South Asia to brow-beat Pakistan into subservience. ‘Peaceful’ domination through SAARC etc., or military hegemony through sabre-rattling, are but two sides of the coin determining India’s foreign policy in South Asia. While Gujral adopted the former, the BJP has adopted the latter — the goal, though, is the same. After coming to power, nuclear explosions, the Kargil war, diplomatic arm-twisting, aggressive trade agreements, heightened RAW and intelligence operations in neighbouring countries, and gaining military domination in the name of helping fight insurgencies (in Sri Lanka, Nepal) — are all part of the BJP-led government’s hegemonistic policies in South Asia. Border skirmishes for these peaks and posts along the diffused LoC, continue each year; but their conflagration into a war is a direct political act. Now India has a convenient pretext for a war, giving the argument of Pak ‘aggression’ on Peak 5353. With the exposure of the above facts (Frontline, Sept.1), the media has already begun its disinformation campaign, accusing Pakistan of violating a ‘pact’ !!