The disclosures made in the article “Skeletons in the Generals’ cupboards” (Aug. 10) on the Kargil fiasco were shocking. That the failures of top army brass during and after the war were hushed up is disappointing. I am sure they would have brought down the army’s morale to an all-time low. It is the duty of the Defence Ministry to come out with the truth so that justice can be done to the brave officials who risked everything for their country. So that their faith in the system can be restored.
Ketan Rautela,
Jaipur
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Millions of countrymen believe that gross injustice was done to the officers who warned of Pakistan’s aggression in the Kargil sector. Timely action could have saved hundreds of valiant soldiers who perished in the war because of the indifference and callousness of senior officers. After a decade, let us take an impassionate view of the Kargil war and restore the honour of the sincere and patriotic army officers who warned the country in advance but suffered at the hands of their seniors when their words came true.
Bikash Choudhury,
Bhubaneswar
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The article has blamed the Indian army, to some extent rightly, for its failures. It should have also brought out the shameful performance of our political leadership of the time. It is nobody’s case that the army’s flip-flop on the build-up of Pakistani troops along Kargil was insignificant. But what about the government of the day? There were reports that Pakistan warned India that it would resort to a nuclear strike if our soldiers crossed the Line of Control. Thanks to a terrified Indian political leadership, the world witnessed a bizarre spectacle of a modern army using First World War tactics to assault strongly held enemy positions head on. Had our leaders allowed the army to cross the LoC, the war would have been over in a much shorter time with minimum casualties.
Jayanta Kumar Dutt,
Kolkata
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From the very beginning of the Kargil conflict, it was well known that the failures of the Army command were hushed up to save the top commanders. Praveen Swami’s article has chronologically exposed the unheard testimonies of three senior officers who had direct access to the ground realities before and during the Kargil conflict. It is time to punish those who were responsible for the gross failures and reward those who were punished unjustifiably.
Capt. T. Raju (retd.),
Secunderabad
