NEW DELHI, Jul 18 : Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Thursday hailed the heroics of Indian bravehearts in the Kargil war 25 years ago and said all efforts of Pakistan clearly “fell short of its aim” during the 1999 conflict.
“The proxy war that we witness today is a continuation of the same ideology and mindset that has not changed,” he said.
Speaking at the ‘Kargil Diwas Honours’ hosted by TV9 Network here to mark the 25th anniversary of the Kargil war, the CDS also said that besides recalling memories of a war, it is also important to look at its aftermath and draw the “right lessons” for the future.
“We must not repeat the same mistakes,” he said.
At the event, the CDS also presented awards to many Kargil heroes and to the family members of martyrs who had made the supreme sacrifice in the 1999 war.
The war was declared over on July 26, 1999 — remembered as ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas, after the Indian forces successfully pushed back the Pakistani forces which had stealthily occupied important heights in Ladakh.
“Pakistan always wanted to get even with us after the defeat in 1971 (war). The preemptive occupation of Siachen Glacier by us in 1984 was another humiliation which Pakistan suffered. Its operations in Kargil was to redeem its honour, but clearly all its efforts fell short of its aim,” the general said.
The CDS further said the “proxy war that we witness today is a continuation of the same ideology and mindset that has not changed, and hence we must, as Oliver Cromwell, said ‘….Trust in God.., but … Keep your powder dry”.
The Kargil war, which has become synonymous to resoluteness, selflessness, fierce courage and determination of our armed forces, “inspires and collectively exhorts all of us to focus towards the future threats and challenges”, the CDS said.
“We must maintain a high degree of maintenance to face these kind of challenges,” he added.
The CDS hailed the contribution of various units which fought in the conflict and also the Veer Nari, whose sons or husbands made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
“The memories of sacrifices made by our soldiers must become a part of our national folklore, as indeed it has become with the Kargil war,” General Chauhan said.
Saga, bravery and fortitude must continue to inspire future generations of the youth as well as the soldiers who join the Indian armed forces, the CDS said.
Besides recalling memories of war, it is also important to look at its aftermath and draw useful lessons for the future, he said.
“Lessons learnt by shedding blood must remain ingrained with our military. Other instruments of national power dealing with security and defence of the country must also take note of those lessons,” he said, adding what is more important is to learn the “right lessons from the war”.
Kargil war was a limited war that was fought under a nuclear overhang. One thing is that there will always be more than a casual connect between limited war, full-scale conflict and nuclear deterrence, he said.
In his address, General Chauhan also recalled that the creation of the post of a CDS was also one of the recommendations of the committee (Kargil Review Committee) that reviewed this war.
Appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff was in “some manner, a progeny of the Kargil war” and as a CDS, “I have been both honoured and humbled”, he said.
Referring to some of the conflicts in other parts of the world, the CDS asserted that war and warfare are evolving at a “very, very rapid pace” and both are following very “non-linear and unpredictable path”.
“We can actually say, we are now on the cusp of a third revolution in military affairs. And the Indian armed forces must plan to enter this revolution with military affairs along with advanced militaries of the world,” the CDS said.
The nature of military and non-military security challenges bring to fore the imperative need for the forces to be prepared for “multi-domain and multi-spectrum challenges”, he added.
The general said there is an “inescapable requirement of seamless integration across all domains – land, sea, air, space, information and cyberspace. And infusion of inter-operable systems among various branches of the armed forces… That I think will the basic foundation for us to prepare for warfare of the future”.
Multiple initiatives are being taken by the armed forces to “maintain an edge over our adversaries”. Improvements in India’s warfighting doctrines, strategies and concepts as per perceived threats have been enunciated. Capability development to include infrastructure and robust operational logistics is being attempted in a very progressive kind of manner through ingenious means to build “future-ready armed forces”, he asserted.
Highlighting the steps taken towards integration of the armed forces, the Chief of Defence Staff said moving beyond jointness, the three services are now working towards “promoting joint culture” and integrating themselves in a number of domains.
Any war is a very important politico-military event in the history of a nation and it has the potential to “change destiny of a nation, and its people, forever”, he said. (PTI)
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