Pressure to open more fronts
From M. L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, June 16 — Who will strike first, India or Pakistan? This has assumed significance in the light of the undeclared war in the Kargil-Dras belt and continuous shelling on the Indian border villages right from Kargil to Kathua.

Sources said that Indian successes in regaining the control of posts and positions in the Kargil-Dras area had been slow because of inherent disadvantages the Indian soldiers had been facing and the way Pakistani troops had intensified firing and shelling in various sectors in the past 15 days. This had placed the Indian ruling political leadership in a tight corner. It had come under pressure to give a green signal to the troops to "penetrate into the enemy camps."

During a series of statements and speeches the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, had made it clear that if "war is thrust on us we will meet any challenge. According to the sources, the Indian armed forces had made elaborate preparations for meeting any eventuality after Pakistan moved large columns of soldiers and war machinery close to the border from Kargil in Kashmir to Kathua in Jammu.

The sources said despite the undeclared war in Kargil because of infiltration by militants and Pakistan soldiers and shelling of Indian position with continuous artillery and mortar firing in nine sectors on this side of the border, Islamabad is said to be "provoking" India to fire the first salvo so that Pakistan could take the case of open war by India to the United Nations.

However, things have not turned the way Pakistan wanted. Even the USA has appreciated the restraint shown by India in the face of Pakistan's open violation of the sanctity of the Line of Control in the Kargil-Dras area. During his recent visit to Srinagar the Prime Minister, Mr Vajpayee, was told by the Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, that Pakistan understood only the language of the gun and not of reason. This meant that both leaders and senior functionaries of the armed forces are in favour of opening three to four fronts to pressurise Islamabad in withdrawing its infiltrators and soldiers from the Kargil-Dras area.

The sources said that India could have opened various fronts against Pakistan as had been done in the 1971 war but it favoured restraint to gain support from the world leaders. New Delhi had succeeded in getting support from the USA, France, Russia and other countries that matter in the world. Since India was not sure of the Chinese role in case of an open armed conflict with Pakistan it sent Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh to probe the Chinese stand.

The sources said, Mr Jaswant Singh had received positive hints from the Chinese leaders indicating that they would not take sides in case of an armed conflict between the two sides. Though the Chinese leaders reiterated their stand on the Kargil issue saying that the two sides should resolve it through talks, the assurance of remaining neutral in case of a major conflict between India and Pakistan is being viewed as a gain for India.

The sources said Pakistan Prime Minister was caught between the devil and the deep sea. He had gone too far in the Kargil-Dras area and it would not be safe in case he announced the withdrawal of the infiltrators because the top Pak Army brass was in favour of dragging its feet in Kargil and Dras.

It is in the light of these developments India has a limited choice. It has either to accept the re-demarcation of the Line of Control in Kargil and Dras, which is a remote possibility, or to launch a counter attack on the Pakistani troops in different sectors in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan.

On the political front the BJP-led coalition government is running short of time. The Lok Sabha elections are scheduled sometime in September-October and this means the conflict on the Indo-Pak border has to be resolved by the first week of August . In case the Pak guns keep on roaring the BJP may seek the postponement of elections in six constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir.

If the elections in Jammu and Kashmir are postponed it might affect the poll prospects of the BJP which is already being blamed for initiating Delhi-Lahore bus journey. And Mr Vajpayee is under pressure from his partymen to act fast . Will Mr Vajpayee oblige his partymen?

Strikes to continue: air chief
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, June 16 — The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal, A Y Tipnis, said here today that the IAF was "prepared for any situation" to contain the aggression along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and air strikes would continue till the status quo ante, was restored.

The air chief was talking to mediapersons after reviewing ground situation in the Kargil sector. He was accompanied by senior Army and IAF officers in the area. He said the morale of the troops and IAF personnel was very high adding that the Army with the full support from the Air Force was "doing a very good job under most difficult circumstances."

"If we are forced into any situation, we are prepared", Air Chief Marshal Tipnis said. "What we do understand is the aggression has been from the other side. We are trying to contain the aggression and ensure that those people are pushed back to the Line of Control (LoC)", he added. He said India had shown great restrain "despite all provocations that have been forthcoming from the other side." The air chief disclosed that the use of air power so far had been "most useful" and hoped that in the coming days its effectiveness would be more.

Answering a question he said the IAF had not violated the LoC: "We have not attacked any targets on their side of the Line of Control", he said, adding all targets attacked were" on our side of the line of control. At not stage have the aircraft gone across the LoC. He held that one aircraft had an engine failure, and in that case there was a possibility of its going "close to the LoC." The second aircraft that went down for rescue was shot down with a missile, from the other side of the LoC.

To another question the air chief said: "Interdiction is an essential part of air operations to make sure that what is coming from behind is actually held off." He said the Government of India wanted to ensure that there was no escalation and specific orders were given to him to ensure that "we do not under any circumstances cross the Line of Control." In this connection he also referred to the aspect of full support to the intruders from Pakistan who were "spread very thinly on the ridges they are occupying." He held that the level of damage and effectiveness of the air operations would be high as the attacks had been accurate.

Village razed in encounter

SRINAGAR, June 16 (UNI) — Three security personnel and seven militants, including two foreigners were among 17 persons killed in in the valley during the past 24 hours.

An official spokesman said the security forces on a tip off cordoned Nathpora Bandipora village in North Kashmir district of Baramulla to nab suspected militants and their sympathisers.

When the security forces were conducting house-to-house searches, the militants opened fire. The security forces retaliated and in the fierce clash two foreign militants and a security jawan were killed.

Three civilians were injured and 50 houses and other structures were gutted in the encounter.

However, villagers who took to the streets, alleged that the security forces fired mortars during the encounter. They alleged that 50 houses were gutted in the shelling. Three civilians were also injured.

The entire village was razed to the ground by the security forces after one of their jawans were killed.

The body of a student Imtiyaz Aahmad Mir was recovered from the debris of one of the gutted houses.

The spokesman said two rifles a grenade launcher, nine magazines, 204 rounds, three grenades, a pistol and a wireless set were recovered from the site.

The security forces came under heavy fire from militants during a search operation at Khargam Pattan village in Baramulla district last evening. The security forces also fired back and in the fierce clash four militants were killed .Two security personnel were killed and another was injured.

Two civilians also died and seven were injured in the cross-fire. At least 15 houses were also gutted in the incident. However, villagers alleged that the security forces restored to indiscriminate firing on civilians and set ablaze houses after militants killed security personnel. Two rifles were recovered during the operation.

The security forces shot at and seriously injured a militant when he was trying to escape on a scooter at Lal Bazar on the outskirts of Srinagar city this afternoon. The injured militant later died in hospital.

The spokesman said militants shot dead three persons — Mohammad Maqbool Dar, his wife Mehbooba and daughter Masarat — at Longi Tialbal on the outskirts of the city last evening.

Militants entered the house of Abdul Majid Dar and shot dead his son at Pipiabal Anantnag last evening.

Ex gratia for kin of J&K martyrs

JAMMU, June 16 (PTI) — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, today announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh and a job each to next of kin of those army personnel of the state who laid down their lives in fighting the Pakistan-backed infiltrators in the Kargil sector.

"We salute the martyrs who offered supreme sacrifice in the Kargil-Dras sectors and other frontiers in foiling Pakistan aggression’’, Dr Abdullah said addressing a meeting of the citizens' council comprising representatives of various political and social organisations and senior civil and military officer here.

"The nation will always remain indebted to those who give up their today for our better tomorrow’’, he said.

Their families are not alone to face the martyrdom of their near and dear ones but people of the country as a whole share their loss and pay respectful homage to them, he added.