The Kargil war (1999)
The Kargil war has a distinct identity in the history of India. This war was fought by the Indian Army and Air Force near the Line of Control in the state of Jammu and Kashmir from May to July 1999. The Indian Army and Air Force drove out the Pakistani soldiers and paramilitary forces from the Indian border. The Government of India named it Operation Safed Sagar.
Start of the Kargil War
The Kargil war began with infiltration by Pakistan in May 1999. Pakistani infiltrators started setting up their base near the Line of Control in the form of terrorists in Kashmir. The Indian Army and Air Force, after three months of tireless efforts and sacrifices in May, June and July, finally drove out the Pakistani army and terrorists from the Indian border on 26 July 1999.
The Kargil war is very important in Indian history because this war was fought at high altitudes in the mountainous areas. This was a part of Pakistan’s strategy. Pakistan has always been interfering in Jammu and Kashmir, to be honest, Pakistan’s own internal politics is based on the Kashmir issue. Pakistan also gets support from its neighbouring countries in which China plays a major role. China uses Pakistan as a geopolitician.
Result of Kargil War
War of any kind is always negative, the same happened in this war, Indian soldiers were martyred and Pakistani soldiers were also killed. On 26 July 1999, Pakistani terrorists, Pakistani infiltrators, Pakistani soldiers and paramilitary forces were finally driven out of the Indian border and on this occasion, 26 July is celebrated every year as Kargil Vijay Diwas. This important day pays tribute to those Indian soldiers who reclaimed the area infiltrated by Pakistan and sacrificed their lives for the motherland of India without caring for their lives.
Before the Kargil war, there was a war between Pakistan and India in 1971 too, in this war too Pakistan was defeated and Pakistan was divided into two countries, East Pakistan became Bangladesh and West Pakistan became Pakistan.
Jammu and Kashmir has always been a subject of dispute between India and Pakistan because at the time of independence in 1947, there was a provision in the Independence Act 1947 that Indian princely states could either join India or Pakistan or they could maintain their independent existence.
Most of the princely states joined India or some princely states joined Pakistan. Only three such princely states, Junagadh, Hyderabad and Jammu and Kashmir, Junagadh and Hyderabad were also included in India. The princely state of Jammu and Kashmir declared to keep itself independent.
The biggest problem of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was that the ruler there was Hindu Maharaja Hari Singh and while the majority of the population there was Muslim and taking advantage of this population, the service of Pakistan or the government of Pakistan started misleading the people of Jammu and Kashmir and started luring them to join them.
In this way, there is a dispute about Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan every day. A large part of Jammu and Kashmir, which is called occupied Kashmir, is illegally occupied by Pakistan. The LOC border has been determined only between Pakistan occupied Kashmir and India.