Kargil Vijay Diwas: When ex-PM Atal Bihari stood behind Indian Armed Forces in Kargil war

As the country celebrates "Kargil Vijay Diwas" on Tuesday, 26 July to commemorate the historic victory of the Indian armed forces in the Kargil War of 1999, we recall then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee sending out a clear warning to Pakistan that if the infiltrators will not withdraw from the Indian territory then he 'we will get them out, one way or the other'.

Notably, it was the local shepherds in the area who initially became aware of Pakistani infiltration in the early days of May, and things quickly got out of hand. The two countries engaged in a full-fledged battle for six weeks, with some of the heaviest usage of artillery in any war since World War II. Then-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee made a suggestion that a "war-like" situation was developing in the high-altitude regions by the end of May that year. It is pertinent to mention that during the Kargil war, the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre had lost the majority in the parliament and Vajpayee was the caretaker PM.

When Vajpayee said he won't negotiate under the threat of aggression

During the war, the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was standing strong and tall behind the Indian armed forces that launched Operation Vijay (By the Indian Army) and Operation Safed Sagar (by the Indian Air Force). On July 02, 1999, US President Bill Clinton was called by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wherein he appealed for immediate American action to put an end to the fighting and settle the Kashmir dispute. The US President was adamant that Pakistan must withdraw from the LOC in order for him to assist. On the phone, the President had a conversation with Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee also where the PM said that he would not negotiate under coercion, and withdrawal from the LOC was necessary.

When Vajpayee declared victory before

One peculiar thing about the end of the Kargil war was that the then PM had declared the success of the operations on July 14, days before it was formally ended. Notably, Atal Bihari Vajpayee on July 14 in a public rally in Haryana announced the victory in advance putting strategic pressure on Pakistan and subsequently India won the Kargil war when it officially ended on July 26

In his speech at Red Fort in Delhi on August 15, 1999, after the victory of the Kargil war, the then PM Vajpayee said, "Mahatma Gandhi had given us a mantra that if anyone has ever any dilemma about what to do and what not to do then he should think of the poorest and helpless person in India. He should think about whether his actions will benefit that person or not."

"Kargil war has given us another mantra. This mantra was that before taking any important decision we should think about whether the action will honour that soldier who sacrificed his life in those insurmountable mountains," Atal Bihar Vajpayee said on August 15, 1999.

Notably, India is celebrating the 23rd anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas today. The day marks the historic victory of the Indian Armed Forces in Operation Vijay 1999 when they evicted Pakistani invaders from high outposts in Ladakh's Kargil and won the war.