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Agra martyrs' widows demand
apology for Kargil

Indo-Asian News Service

The widows of nine Indian soldiers from Agra, who were killed while fighting Pakistani intruders in Kargil, have demanded an apology for the "completely unnecessary" war from Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf.

As their city prepares to host the general, who will meet Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee over the weekend, anger is running high among the kin of the Kargil martyrs.

"I am angry, very angry. They fought a war that was perhaps completely unnecessary. And it took away so many lives," said Shakuntala Devi, whose husband Subedar Layak Singh Bhadoria of Rajputana Rifles died while clearing the Kargil heights of Pakistani intruders.

The Times of India newspaper quoted her as saying: "Now there has to be some proper redemption."

The Kargil widows also want Pakistan to free all Indian prisoners of war and concede that all of Kashmir -- including the area it has occupied -- is part of India, the paper said.

India lost around 500 soldiers in the icy heights of Kargil in Kashmir in the summer of 1999. The intrusion in Kargil was a shock to the nation as it came three months after the historic Lahore summit between Vajpayee and the then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

"I lost my father in Kargil. I am not ready to forgive them (the Pakistanis) just because their president is coming here for a peace summit," said Renu Singh, the 16-year-old daughter of Havaldar Kumar Singh of the 17 Jat Regiment. "They must apologise for what happened in 1999," she said.

"All of us want the president to apologise," said Subedar Bhadoria's daughter Sonu. "I feel the same way, my elder brothers feel the same way. In fact, anyone who has lost a dear one in Kargil will feel the same way."

"I will be ready to forgive them if something comes out of the peace summit," said Sonu's mother Shakuntala Devi. "I hope a solution is found so that more women like me are not widowed."

The families of the nine Kargil martyrs plan to hold a demonstration close to Jaypee Hotel, the venue of the Vajpayee-Musharraf summit.

And while they know they can't get too close given the unprecedented security arrangements, they hope their voices will carry to the man they largely blame for the war in Kargil.

ALSO SEE:
Agra mayor says Musharraf is not welcome

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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