The Hindu : National : Gen. Malik seeks to put the record on Kargil straight

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Wednesday, Jun 16, 2004

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National

Gen. Malik seeks to put the record on Kargil straight

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 15. Expressing dismay over the recent controversy in the media over participation of the Indian Air Force in the Kargil conflict, the former Army Chief, General V.P. Malik, today said that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had approved the use of air power but had made it clear that no one was to cross the Line of Control.

Breaking his silence since the controversy erupted earlier this month and seeking to set the record straight, Gen. Malik, who was the Chief of the Army Staff during the Kargil war in May 1999, asserted there was never any blame game or accusation during the whole episode. The former Army Chief's statement comes nearly a week after the new Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, cleared the air on the war, saying the time taken for giving clearance to deploy air power was not the reason for higher casualties. In a statement in Parliament, Mr. Mukherjee said that Kargil was a ``difficult war fought from a position of disadvantage.''

Gen. Malik described as ``wrong'' on the part of some mediapersons to give an out-of-context and wrong twist to some parts of the Army Headquarters' in-house report, which, he said, was written to keep a record of events and to draw lessons from.

In a statement, Gen. Malik said the in-house report brought out two lessons: (a) the need for Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and integrated staff at higher level, and (b) the need for the Army to control armed and attack helicopters. It is unfair for any senior retired Air Force officer, who was neither a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), nor a participant in the CCS deliberations, to be so self-opinionated and pass unsavoury remarks about the Army and its senior hierarchy without knowing the facts.

The former Army chief said that he was compelled to speak as the controversy tended to bring the armed forces into political crossfire and create differences between the services, both not in national interest. Gen. Malik, who was on an official visit abroad when the intrusions by Pakistani forces were detected, said that on his return to India on May 20, 1999, and after visiting the headquarters of the Northern Command, he was convinced that the Air Force must use its power.

``Accordingly, I requested Admiral Sushil Kumar and Air Chief Marshal Tipnis, my colleagues in the COSC, to discuss this issue in my office on May 23, 1999. After giving my assessment of the situation, I stated that the IAF should use its air power in the conflict and made it clear that if any of my colleagues was against it, I shall oppose that view in the CCS meeting. My assessment of the situation, however, convinced my COSC colleagues and a unanimous decision was taken to recommend the use of air power to the CCS. Next day, I briefed the CCS in Operations Room, gave my assessment of the situation and what we planned to do. I also conveyed our recommendation for the use of air power. The CCS approved this but made it clear that no one was to cross the Line of Control,'' Gen. Malik said recalling the sequence of events during May 1999.

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