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The general speaks, finally

Retired Chief of the Army Staff, General V.P. Malik comes out with his take on the Kargil war

TAKING AIM General V.P. Malik says Pakistan leadership was in the know of the intrusion in Kargil Photo: R.V. Moorthy

It took him five years to share his side of the Kargil story, a war that refuses to go away from public domain. "It was deliberate for I felt that soon after the war the emotions are so high that objectivity tends to get blocked," says General (Retd.) V.P. Malik, who has come up with "Kargil - From Surprise to Victory". Malik was the Chief of the Army Staff when Pakistan security forces succeeded in surprising both the Army and political set up in India with their intrusion in Kargil while the peace dialogue was on. Malik's assessment of the situation is that the political leadership in Pakistan was in the know of things. "They knew the military was up to something. The only thing they may not be aware of was the extent."

He says in India there was total coordination between the Army and the Government during the war. "It was only after the war because of the elections that the Army got caught in the political crossfire."

But how does it feel to a soldier when the political heads shake hands with the man responsible for the war? Malik, who now heads the Institute of Security Studies in the Observer Research Foundation says, "It's always known that the two neighbours have to come around after all and the Army is all for it. However, the Agra episode did not go down well with the military set up because it was too soon after the war. It also brought forth the duplicity of some people."

Malik adds that the Indian soldier never questions anything. "They are simple people who take it as their kartvaya."

Talking of the numbers of scams associated with the war, Malik says, "These are related to procurement issues and I have discussed them at length in the book. I believe self-reliance is a better option to avoid such issues." The Harper Collins publication also analyses the U.S. role, nuclear issues and the Chinese angle during the limited war.

On the larger issues concerning Indian defence forces where youngsters are crying away from jobs in security forces, he categorically rejects the contention that today's youth lacks the will to lay down his life for the country but admits that Army's increased involvement in operations is one of the reasons for youngsters not choosing Army as a career. "It's not that we are not getting numbers, it's the quality that's suffered because of the lucrative jobs available in the private sector. Also there is ignorance about the facilities you get as an Army officer." Malik agrees the information campaign during his tenure helped in spreading the message, but contends, "The Army job has lost the social status it used to enjoy earlier. Even among the armed forces, it is the wards of the lower-ranked officers who are showing more will to join the forces." He quickly adds, "There are exceptions though. My son has joined the forces out of his own will."

ANUJ KUMAR

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