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Kargil Conflict - 1999 Module - V

Major Wars Post
media to cover the war live. India has greater number of privately owned electronic
Independence
media as compared to Pakistan with freedom to report. Pakistan journalists agreed in
a seminar in Karachi that the Indian government had taken the press and the people
into its confidence. According to some analysts, Indian media was both larger in number
and more credible which may have acted as a force multiplier for the Indian military
operations in Kargil and served as a morale booster.

Note
20.4 The Kargil Review Committee (KRC)

After the war was over the Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajipayee set up an
inquiry about the causes of Indian intelligence failures. The committee was to identify
weaknesses in the organisation of the Armed Forces and suggest remedial measures.
The Committee had, K. Subrahmanyam (Chairman), Lieutenant General (Retd.) K.K.
Hazari, B.G. Verghese and Satish Chandra, Secretary, National Security Council
Secretariat (NSCS) who was also designated as Member-Secretary. The Committee’s
findings are based primarily on official documents, authenticated records and copies
of documents. The report was not an investigation into what happened at Kargil,
but a review of the developments and recommendations as to the measures to be
undertaken to prevent such an occurrence in future. The report also gave for reaching
recommendation to restructure our security set up.

You have studied about the number of wars fought by India after independence. Other
than these wars that you have studied, Indian Army has fought bravely in a number of
other places. In Siachen glacier, the Army had to occupy some posts at very high
altitudes in extreme cold temperatures because Pakistanis were trying to occupy the
area illegally. Similarly our Army was sent to Sri Lanka in 1987 to help the Sri Lankan
Government battle the LTTE. In both these areas our soldiers fought with great valour
and were awarded the highest gallantry award the Param Vir Chakra. Find out the
names of the soldiers who were awarded the PVC in this war.

Intext Questions 20.4

1. What was the duration of the Kargil war?

2. Who were the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan during the kargil war?
3. Name the American President during the Kargil War.

What You Have Learnt

 The causes of the Kargil War and its strategic importance.

 The deployment of army, Role of Airforce and Navy, the role played by the
Indian Media, and the responses from other nations.
 The lessons learnt by both India and Pakistan.

 Lastly, the formation of Kargil Review committee.

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MILITARY HISTORY 75