NEWS
ANALYSIS
SPECIALS
INTERVIEW
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
CONSTITUENCY
ISSUES
GALLERY
MANIFESTOS
OVERHEARD
INDIA SPEAKS!
COUNTDOWN
CHAT
PREVIOUS RESULTS
SCHEDULE
DISCUSSION GROUP

Militants still trying to cross LoC, says Gen Malik

Chief of the Army Staff General V P Malik today remained non-committal on the army holding the posts retrieved from the Pakistani infiltrators during the Kargil operations throughout the year.

Addressing a press conference in Madras after reviewing the passing-out parade of cadets of the Officers Training Academy, Gen Malik was, however, emphatic that the army had done everything to ensure that Kargil is not repeated.

He parried a question whether the army would hold on to the Indian side of the Line of Control in Kargil all through the year.

In the past, both Indians and Pakistanis did not hold their posts in winter.

Gen Malik said the army had accomplished the mission (Kargil victory) on July 26, but, unfortunately, firing across the LoC continues because of attempts by militants to cross over.

During the Kargil conflict, the army did not come across any militants, but fought only Pakistani soldiers. Now attempts are being made by militants to infiltrate into Indian territory, resulting in firing from both sides, he added.

Replying to a question, he said that as of now, the infiltration was confined to areas in Jammu and Kashmir. "I can't say about tomorrow," he added.

Asked about the fate of the two Indian soldiers being held captive by the Pakistan Army, Gen Malik said the Indian director-general of military operations had already taken up the matter with his Pakistani counterpart to secure their release.

The Indian DGMO had told his counterpart that some of the Indian soldiers who were missing could have inadvertently crossed over to the Pakistani side and so ought to be released.

Asked whether Siachen had come alive in the wake of the Kargil operations coming to an end, Gen Malik said: "Siachen has never been dead to come alive. In fact there is no LoC in the area and firing has always been going on from both sides." Only the intensity of firing varies from time to time, he added.

Answering a question on the army being dragged into politics and the Kargil victory being politicised, he said Army Headquarters had already issued a statement on this and he had nothing to add to it.

On conflicting figures of the number of army personnel killed in the Kargil operations, he said the figure could not be hidden by anyone in the country. Stating that the bodies of the martyrs had been sent to their villages and the respective state governments informed, he said: "The Indian Army or anyone else can't hide such figures which were even available on the Internet."

Gen Malik refused to say whether he expects a quantum jump in the defence budget or mid-term budget support in the view of the Kargil operations.

On public contributions to the Kargil fund, he said a lot of money was collected by the National Defence Fund set up by the prime minister and a lot of assistance was being given to the widows of the soldiers killed as well as to those wounded in the operations.

Public contributions to the Army Central Welfare Fund set up by the army totals more than Rs 550 million and there are definite plans for making use of the money for the families of the martyrs, he said. A committee has also been set up to streamline the distribution of assistance.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report