Kargil War: 25 Years Later—The Story Behind the Scoop

Onkar 

(The writer can be reached at editoronkar@gmail.com)

The Kargil War remains a significant event in the history of India-Pakistan relations. We remember it for the bravery and sacrifice of soldiers, serving as a reminder of the need for vigilance and preparedness in the face of such intrusions. The story of the Kargil intrusion was first broken by Onkareshwar Pandey, a well-known journalist and thought leader. Pandey, a defence correspondent with the national Hindi daily Rashtriya Sahara, broke this story on May 15, 1999 (a news clipping of his story is attached). As the country celebrates 25 years since the Kargil Intrusion, here is a firsthand account from Onkareshwar Pandey on how he broke the story:

           – By Onkareshwar Pandey

On May 15, 1999, I was at my bureau office at the Amba Deep Building, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place, New Delhi. It was a leisurely Saturday, and most offices were closed. With no remarkable political activity to cover, I was fishing for news by calling my sources. One of my contacts at the Ministry of Defence asked me to meet him in his office, using a back gate entrance.

I rang up one of my sources, who was working with the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. I was about to ask about his well-being as a normal courtesy to begin the conversation when he immediately told me, “Pandey Ji, Ek Ghante Ke Bad Call Karo, Ya office Aa Jao, Baat Karenge, Aur Peechhla Gate 11 No Se Aaaiyega, Samne wala Band hota hai, Shani/Ravi ko, aapko Maloom Hai.” (Pandey Ji, call me after an hour or come to my office and come from the Back Gate Door No. 11, as you know the front gate remains closed on Saturday and Sunday.).

Curious and sensing something unusual, I headed to his office in the South Block on Raisina Hill, closer to Rashtrapati Bhawan and the Parliament Building. Gate Number 4, the main entry gate, was closed as usual. So, I went to the backside at Gate Number 11. After passing security, I waited for him in his chamber. When he arrived, he showed me a hastily sketched map, indicating that Pakistani forces had infiltrated and captured the Kargil Ridge, 45–50 kilometres inside the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC). The officer told me, “Ye Line Dekh Rahe Ho, Ye LOC hai. Aur Ye, (Doosri Line Dikhate Hue), Kargil Ridge Hai, Hamara Ilaka Hai. Yahan Per Pakistani Ghus Aaye Hain.”

Since infiltration from Pakistan was a regular affair in Jammu and Kashmir, I thought this might be another bid of infiltration. So, I said, “Hmm, Ye To Hota Hi Rahta Hai.” (Yes, this always happens there.)

He looked at me and said, “LoC Se Is Line Ka Distance Pata Hai? Ye 45/50 Kilometre Andar Hai, Hamare Side me.” Vo Yahan Tak Aa Gaye Hain. Aur Poori Kargil Pahadi Per Kabja Kar Liya Hai.” (Do you know the distance of this line (Kargil) from the LoC? This is around 45/50 kilometres inside our area, and they have captured the entire hills in the Kargil range.)

Realising the gravity of the situation, I learned that there had been an emergency meeting in the war room due to the intrusion. The then Chief of Army Staff, General Ved Prakash Malik, PVSM, AVSM, was away, so his deputy led the meeting, placing the Air Force on alert for a potential aerial attack. This was a huge story. Two nuclear-armed nations were face-to-face after the 1971 war, indicating a serious conflict, not just another proxy war.

While returning to the office with the map safely folded in my hand, I decided to take a round in the PIB (Press Information Bureau) at Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi. The media room at PIB was a common meeting point for all PIB-accredited journalists covering different ministries. Only a few journalists were present on that day. I met a senior journalist working as the bureau chief for the Kolkata-based Bengali newspaper Aajkaal. He asked, “Kuchh khabor shabar hai kya, Pandey?” (Any news, Pandey?) Considering that he was not a direct competitor to our Hindi newspaper, I thought of sharing my exclusive news with him. I briefly explained the situation, but to my surprise, he declined, saying, “Hamara Bengali newspaper hai to, vahan nobody is interested in reading about Kashmir.”

I rushed back to my office and wrote a detailed six-column top box story headlined, “Bharatiya Pahadi per Pak Ka Kabja, Bhartiya Sena Harkat Me” (Pakistan Occupies Indian Hills, Indian Army Reacts).

On the same day, another news item related to this incident appeared in the Pioneer newspaper. Written by John Wilson, a senior defence correspondent for the Pioneer, his two-column story simply talked about another bid of infiltration in the Kargil area of Kashmir. On the other hand, my story was a very clear account of the Kargil Intrusion by Pakistani militants supported by the Pakistani Army.

Although my story was published in Rashtriya Sahara, it initially went unnoticed by other media outlets. It wasn’t until May 17, 1999, when Defence Minister George Fernandes acknowledged the intrusion while in Nalanda, Bihar, that the story gained national attention. Defence Minister George Fernandes, while reacting to my news shown to him by our Nalanda Correspondent Rama Shankar, said, “A few hundred Pakistani infiltrators have entered the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir. And they would be ‘flushed out’ within 48 hours.” (https://m.rediff.com/news/1999/may/17kash.htm)

India’s premier news agency flashed this story in brief, adding, “Fernandes said Pakistani infiltrators were entering the Indian territory now as snow had melted in the Kargil and Drass sectors.” Fernandes’ statement, confirming the Pakistani infiltration, was picked up by the national media, highlighting the seriousness of the situation. A few days later, when the story unfolded, Ms. Barkha Dutt of NDTV brought the news to the forefront through her TV channel, capturing the gravity of the situation and the ensuing conflict. Since NDTV was very popular in those days, most people think that she broke the story. The fact is, the whole national media, including NDTV, had no clue about it till the first reaction made by Defence Minister Fernandes at Nalanda on May 17, 1999, based on my story.

The shocking incident of the Kargil intrusion was a calculated move by Pakistani Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf. He deployed militants and soldiers to infiltrate and occupy strategic heights along the Kargil range, intending to cut off the crucial Srinagar-Leh highway and internationalise the Kashmir issue. Cadres from Al Badr, LeT, and other groups occupied some of the key areas along the ridges and mountaintops overlooking the Indian defenses before the regular army moved in to consolidate their positions along the Line of Control. General Musharraf’s move backfired when the Indian security forces responded with alacrity and determination, and the global community intervened to prevent a possible nuclear conflagration.

The intrusion was discovered on May 3, 1999, by local shepherds and confirmed by Indian patrols. The Indian Army responded with Operation Vijay to reclaim the occupied territories, with the Indian Air Force providing crucial support through Operation Safed Sagar. The conflict lasted from May to July 1999. After intense fighting and significant casualties, India successfully recaptured most of the intruded areas. Facing international diplomatic pressure, Pakistan withdrew its forces. India lost approximately 527 soldiers, while Pakistani casualties were significantly higher.

The Kargil War highlighted the importance of surveillance and intelligence in mountainous warfare, leading India to revamp its defence strategies, focusing on better infrastructure, logistics, and high-altitude warfare capabilities. The conflict also strained India-Pakistan relations, emphasising the volatility of the Kashmir region.

This backstabbing by General Musharraf came just three months after Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s historic peace initiative, the Lahore bus diplomacy, aimed at improving India-Pakistan relations. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee took a historic peace initiative by bus to Lahore on February 19, 1999. As the Indian prime minister arrived in the city by bus, his words, “Hum jung na hone denge... Teen bar lad chuke ladayi, kitna mehnga sauda… Hum jung na hone denge...” (We will not let there be war... We have fought three wars, such an expensive affair... We will not let there be war...) reverberated around the world.

This bus diplomacy of PM Vajpayee proved to be a milestone for South Asian countries as well as Pakistan. Apart from PM Vajpayee, 22 people, including then Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh, Union Minister and actor Shatrughan Sinha, actor Dev Anand, writer Javed Akhtar, and a large team of media personnel, had gone on that bus. When the programme for this bus journey was made, it was decided that the PM would return after crossing the border in the bus. However, when this bus entered Pakistan after crossing the India-Pakistan border at Wagah, Nawaz Sharif warmly welcomed Vajpayee ji and the Indian delegation there.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, while welcoming the Indian delegation, repeated his lines and said, “Hum Jung Na Hone Denge” (We will not let there be war) and further invited and persuaded PM Vajpayee to come to Lahore, saying, “Dar Tak aaye Ho, Ghar Nahi aaoge?” (“You have come to the door; won’t you come home?”)

Little did PM Vajpayee know that within just months of his historic initiative, India and Pakistan would be embroiled in another war—the Kargil War. Unfortunately, the Kargil conflict erupted, undermining the peace efforts and demonstrating the fragility of the relationship between the two nations.

The Kargil War remains a testament to the valour of the soldiers and the complex geopolitics of the region. As we commemorate the 25th anniversary of this conflict, it is essential to remember the lessons learned and the sacrifices made, ensuring that such a situation does not arise again.

(Mr. Onkareshwar Pandey, the author of this article, is a well-known journalist, former Senior Group Editor of Rashtriya Sahara, former Editor of ANI, political commentator, strategist, and thought leader. After breaking this story, he wrote a 350-page book in Hindi, “Ghati Me Aatank Aur Kargil,” which was released by the then Union Home Minister, LK Advani. He has authored 10 books so far. LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/3BBYqfn) Email- editoronkar@gmail.com)

Link to the book published by Samay Prakashan: https://www.flipkart.com/ghati-main-atank-aur-kargil/p/itmf1aea2fd58eab

Photo of the book release by Union Home Minister, LK Advani. (https://www.flickr.com/photos/134651192@N03/31604963901/) .