In July every year, we commemorate Operation Vijay which helped us secure the military victory against Pakistan in the Kargil War. This time around too, the nation rejoiced with celebrations held in several cities, as they should be. Around 550 military personnel of all ranks laid down their lives for the nation in the 1999 war.
Kargil Vijay Diwas is a significant occasion dedicated to honour the extraordinary bravery and valour of the Indian armed forces. This year too, the Indian Army held two-day long celebrations at the National War Memorial in Delhi on July 25 and 26.
Besides the official celebration, numerous events, by individuals and organisations, were held across the country to pay tributes to soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in safeguarding the nation.
Such celebrations and events to remember the heroic acts of our soldiers are indeed necessary, for a nation that doesn’t honour its brave soldiers can never be a great power.
However, there is a catch here. Besides the Kargil Diwas, the month of July also has another national and military significance. On July 29, 1987, then-Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi signed the India-Sri Lanka Peace Accord, ordering Indian troops to protect Indian interests in Sri Lanka. This was the start of Operation Pawan.
While Op Vijay (Kargil) lasted for three months, Op Pawan lasted three years and the Liberation of Tamil Tigers Elam (LTTE) was vanquished only in 2009. Around 527 soldiers gallantly laid down their lives and 1,363 soldiers were wounded in Op Vijay. In Op Pawan, the respective figures were around 1,670 and 3,000. As can be noticed, the casualty figures from the operation in Sri Lanka are three times that of the Kargil War. However, only one Param Vir Chakra was awarded in relation to battles in Sri Lanka, against an enemy known to be the wiliest, suicide-committed, fighting in its own territory with full support of the population.
LTTE troopers. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0.
However, not even a single wreath has been placed or tricolour waved in acknowledgement of those who lost their lives fighting in a foreign land, on the orders of the Indian government. It is a sad reality that India does not celebrate or commemorate the battles of Op Pawan.
Unlike the nation, the veterans are not prepared to forget their comrades. They sought and received permission from the government to pay tributes to their fellow soldiers at the National War Memorial. However, when the approvals came in 2021, they came with a set of riders, that there will only be a silent ceremony, no serving officer in uniform to be present, and a wreath to be laid only by a senior-most officer present.
This year, on July 29, a silent ceremony was held at the National War Memorial for the third in a row. A small gathering of veterans and families honoured the martyrs. No serving officer, no minister or other elected representative of India – for whom 1,200 died – attended the commemoration event.
Magnanimously, this time around, the government allowed four wreaths to be laid. The first was laid by Major General Bhalla, then GOC, 54 Infantry Division. The second by the only serving officer present, Captian Raai from 16 Sikh. The third was by Colonel Rakesh Sidhu, 15 Mechanised Infantry, on behalf of the veterans who organised the ceremony. The final wreath was laid by the wife of gallantry award winner late Lance Naik Rajbir Singh, 5 Rajput Regiment.
It is painful to note a sustained pressure by veterans was required to hold a small commemoration event. It feels the government is ashamed of something, that it had to be requested for, to honour the heroic acts of our soldiers abroad.
I fondly remember the young officer of the 5 Rajputana Rifles with whom I played many an interesting game of squash in the Kanpur club. He died in Sri Lanka, blown to pieces. Another colleague, Major Anil Kaul, 65 Armoured Regiment, lost an arm and an eye. Thirty soldiers of the 13 Sikh Light Infantry, laid down their lives in less than an hour at Jaffna University, discharging their duty to comply with orders to capture or kill Liberation of Tamil Tigers Elam (LTTE) chief, V. Prabhakaran. My brother, then Major Manoj Asthana (artillery), provided unlimited helicopter support to the infantry – machine gun fire, reconnaissance for commanders, and casualty evacuation in the jungles of Vavunia. His co-pilot, Harry Kaura, took a bullet on his face, in another mission flown by Daman Sehgal.
Most armies honour the soldierly code of not leaving their comrades behind, whether living or dead. However, many who died for Indian interests in Sri Lanka were never brought back. Even their remains have not been brought back till today. Late Major Michael Lewis of 12 Jat lies in an unmarked grave in Sri Lanka. There are more unmarked graves in Palay and Vavuniya. There is no dedicated memorial for the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) brave hearts in India. Strangely, it is the Sri Lankans who set up a dedicated memorial to the IPKF in 2008 – the IPKF Memorial in Colombo and the 10 Para Memorial in Palaly.
Victory has many fathers, but defeat has none. But was Op Pawan a defeat or a failure? Even if India is so inclined, why does it insult the martyrdom of the soldiers it sent to war on a legitimate mission? This was not Ethan Hunt’s (played by Tom Cruise) ‘this is your mission, should you choose to accept it’ type of volunteer service. Had they refused, they were liable for all consequences of disobedience of the order. Why then?
Once again, it is worth noting that a nation that doesn’t honour its braves can never be a great power.
Col Alok Asthana is a veteran. He is the author of the book The Red Pill on India and Indian Army 2023. He can be contacted at alok.asthana@gmail.com.
