http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140725/edit.htm#6
Lt Gen Mohinder Puri (retd)
The daunting task was to militarily reorient the Division operationally from a counter- insurgency role to that for conventional warfare in virtually no time. The operations had to be completed well before the onset of winter
Operation Vijay was a daunting task for the soldiers because they had to deliver results in a hostile terrain within a limited time frame
IT was the May of 1999, that the 8 Mountain Division also known as "Forever in Operations" was tasked to move from the Kashmir Valley to the rugged Drass-Kargil axis along the Line of Control (LoC) and be part of Operation Vijay — it was the first call to arms in the conventional matrix after nearly 30 years.
Operation Vijay was launched by the Indian Army to evict the Pakistani Army which had occupied the heights in this terrain. The role of first inducting the entire division, complete with its support arms, equipment and men secondly to fight the battle had challenges which had to be overcome and were done successfully.
I had been in command of the Division in the Valley for over a year when the fresh deployment was ordered. For 10 years, or since 1989, the Division was mandated for Operation Rakshak to fight militancy.
As the Pakistani plan in Drass-Kargil unfolded, the daunting task came with the challenges. The first was to militarily reorient the Division operationally from a counter-insurgency role to that for conventional warfare. All this was to be done in virtually no time and to deliver success almost instantly in view of the tremendous pressure of public opinion at home built up by the media. The second issue was to complete operations well before the onset of winter — that sets in early in the high Himalayas.
Since the operations had to be conducted at extreme high altitudes averaging 15,000 feet, troops had to undergo three stages of acclimatisation spread across 10 days to be able to give their best. In hindsight it was stoic bravery, raw courage and the sheer "will to win" among all ranks that added this glorious chapter to the saga of valour and sacrifice for the Division (now headquartered at Kumbathang some 25 km south of Kargil) and also of the Army.
Counter Insurgency (CI) and conventional warfare are as different as chalk and cheese. While CI operations require immediate and expeditious response with rapid planning lest militants run havoc, a conventional warfare requires deliberation and unwavering co-ordination of not only amongst those assaulting, but also with the array of supporting arms and services, including the Air Force.
The changeover carried out in 12 days was creditable as this entailed configuration with new equipment and a psyche. An inbuilt training and equipment transformation flexibility of the Indian Army helped. Candidly, since the Army was preoccupied with militancy and after 1971 this was the first conventional war thrust on India, there was naturally sombre scepticism whether the change could be effected early enough to match the timeframe expected by the nation to "drive out" the Pakistan Army.
The lone inadequacy of ground troops was the vintage of equipment which was overcome to a great degree as the battle progressed.
Pakistani Army had named its intrusion into Kargil as Operation Badr and it was clearly with a three-fold political aim. The political climate in India was perceived to be unstable in early 1999 ( The Vajpayee Government had lost the Vote of Confidence and elections were slated for September 1999). Pakistan assessed that a major reaction to any military adventure was unlikely. Also it seemed as if there was a perception in the minds of the Pakistani leadership that the Indian polity did not have the political will to militarily react to any armed threat from across the border. A second possible Pakistani aim was to create a situation which would enable them to negotiate from a position of strength by securing large tracts of territory across the LoC, and thirdly by launching a military operation the opportunity was considered suitable to internationalise the Kashmir issue.
Pakistan also took into consideration that its nuclear umbrella gave an option of resorting to limited offensive action with minimal risk and with the operations fought in the nuclear backdrop, the international community would intervene, by which time Pakistan would have achieved its objectives. Militarily, Pakistan aimed to initiate the operation in areas where she would be offered the least resistance and a minimal military response. For this, large gaps in defences were to be exploited.
The heights in the Drass-Kargil area had not been permanently occupied by either side for over 50 years, so the first task for the 8 Mountain Division was to cross the Zoji La. In the process, we were confronted with enormous challenges. The ruggedness of the terrain, the extreme high altitudes at which the battles were fought and the adverse weather conditions, coupled with shortage of critical equipment made the task daunting. A short window available for completion of operations before the onset of winter added to the pressure. Had India not exploited the summer window, Pakistan would have consolidated its gains and would have made it prohibitively costly for us to regain the lost territory in the next season.
Preparations for an operation needed deliberation, planning and the will to succeed. I had given the Drass sector a higher priority as the enemy was effectively interdicting the National Highway from their vantage positions. The attack stopped Indian convoys carrying stocks to Ladakh and also equipment and men sent to fight the battle. It was imperative to clear the highway and this was possible only by recapturing the peaks.
Some miles away from the pounding, Tololing had defied capture for three weeks. Pakistani troops were well entrenched. It was the first target for further ridge hopping and capturing objectives like Point 4875, a tactically important feature and Tiger Hill—the place where Major Vikram Batra (PVC) attained glory. The battles had carried on, men and officers had climbed sheer cliffs to dig out the Pakistanis. The advantage was slowly turning but it took the better part of July to wind up the operations and convincingly defeat the Pakistan Army.
Many would have flinched at the daunting task at hand but the zeal displayed by the country at large, gave inspiration and impetus. Never before did the men in uniform flavour this fevered response from the country.
As we remember the 15th anniversary of the war in Kargil, I would like to commend the courage, gallantry and stoicism displayed by our young officers and soldiers. Sadly, in the process many sacrificed their lives for the glory of their units, the Army and the nation.
The writer was GoC 8 Mountain division during the Kargil war
Lt Gen Mohinder Puri (retd)
The daunting task was to militarily reorient the Division operationally from a counter- insurgency role to that for conventional warfare in virtually no time. The operations had to be completed well before the onset of winter
Operation Vijay was a daunting task for the soldiers because they had to deliver results in a hostile terrain within a limited time frame
IT was the May of 1999, that the 8 Mountain Division also known as "Forever in Operations" was tasked to move from the Kashmir Valley to the rugged Drass-Kargil axis along the Line of Control (LoC) and be part of Operation Vijay — it was the first call to arms in the conventional matrix after nearly 30 years.
Operation Vijay was launched by the Indian Army to evict the Pakistani Army which had occupied the heights in this terrain. The role of first inducting the entire division, complete with its support arms, equipment and men secondly to fight the battle had challenges which had to be overcome and were done successfully.
I had been in command of the Division in the Valley for over a year when the fresh deployment was ordered. For 10 years, or since 1989, the Division was mandated for Operation Rakshak to fight militancy.
As the Pakistani plan in Drass-Kargil unfolded, the daunting task came with the challenges. The first was to militarily reorient the Division operationally from a counter-insurgency role to that for conventional warfare. All this was to be done in virtually no time and to deliver success almost instantly in view of the tremendous pressure of public opinion at home built up by the media. The second issue was to complete operations well before the onset of winter — that sets in early in the high Himalayas.
Since the operations had to be conducted at extreme high altitudes averaging 15,000 feet, troops had to undergo three stages of acclimatisation spread across 10 days to be able to give their best. In hindsight it was stoic bravery, raw courage and the sheer "will to win" among all ranks that added this glorious chapter to the saga of valour and sacrifice for the Division (now headquartered at Kumbathang some 25 km south of Kargil) and also of the Army.
Counter Insurgency (CI) and conventional warfare are as different as chalk and cheese. While CI operations require immediate and expeditious response with rapid planning lest militants run havoc, a conventional warfare requires deliberation and unwavering co-ordination of not only amongst those assaulting, but also with the array of supporting arms and services, including the Air Force.
The changeover carried out in 12 days was creditable as this entailed configuration with new equipment and a psyche. An inbuilt training and equipment transformation flexibility of the Indian Army helped. Candidly, since the Army was preoccupied with militancy and after 1971 this was the first conventional war thrust on India, there was naturally sombre scepticism whether the change could be effected early enough to match the timeframe expected by the nation to "drive out" the Pakistan Army.
The lone inadequacy of ground troops was the vintage of equipment which was overcome to a great degree as the battle progressed.
Pakistani Army had named its intrusion into Kargil as Operation Badr and it was clearly with a three-fold political aim. The political climate in India was perceived to be unstable in early 1999 ( The Vajpayee Government had lost the Vote of Confidence and elections were slated for September 1999). Pakistan assessed that a major reaction to any military adventure was unlikely. Also it seemed as if there was a perception in the minds of the Pakistani leadership that the Indian polity did not have the political will to militarily react to any armed threat from across the border. A second possible Pakistani aim was to create a situation which would enable them to negotiate from a position of strength by securing large tracts of territory across the LoC, and thirdly by launching a military operation the opportunity was considered suitable to internationalise the Kashmir issue.
Pakistan also took into consideration that its nuclear umbrella gave an option of resorting to limited offensive action with minimal risk and with the operations fought in the nuclear backdrop, the international community would intervene, by which time Pakistan would have achieved its objectives. Militarily, Pakistan aimed to initiate the operation in areas where she would be offered the least resistance and a minimal military response. For this, large gaps in defences were to be exploited.
The heights in the Drass-Kargil area had not been permanently occupied by either side for over 50 years, so the first task for the 8 Mountain Division was to cross the Zoji La. In the process, we were confronted with enormous challenges. The ruggedness of the terrain, the extreme high altitudes at which the battles were fought and the adverse weather conditions, coupled with shortage of critical equipment made the task daunting. A short window available for completion of operations before the onset of winter added to the pressure. Had India not exploited the summer window, Pakistan would have consolidated its gains and would have made it prohibitively costly for us to regain the lost territory in the next season.
Preparations for an operation needed deliberation, planning and the will to succeed. I had given the Drass sector a higher priority as the enemy was effectively interdicting the National Highway from their vantage positions. The attack stopped Indian convoys carrying stocks to Ladakh and also equipment and men sent to fight the battle. It was imperative to clear the highway and this was possible only by recapturing the peaks.
Some miles away from the pounding, Tololing had defied capture for three weeks. Pakistani troops were well entrenched. It was the first target for further ridge hopping and capturing objectives like Point 4875, a tactically important feature and Tiger Hill—the place where Major Vikram Batra (PVC) attained glory. The battles had carried on, men and officers had climbed sheer cliffs to dig out the Pakistanis. The advantage was slowly turning but it took the better part of July to wind up the operations and convincingly defeat the Pakistan Army.
Many would have flinched at the daunting task at hand but the zeal displayed by the country at large, gave inspiration and impetus. Never before did the men in uniform flavour this fevered response from the country.
As we remember the 15th anniversary of the war in Kargil, I would like to commend the courage, gallantry and stoicism displayed by our young officers and soldiers. Sadly, in the process many sacrificed their lives for the glory of their units, the Army and the nation.
The writer was GoC 8 Mountain division during the Kargil war
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