Exclusive Excerpt from India-Pakistan: The Intractable Conflict and The China Factor

The Kargil war began in early May of 1999. Given the sensitive nature of the events leading up to the war, initially the information flow was restricted and limited. By the time the country became aware of the severity of the situation and the media began to take interest in reporting on it, quite some time had passed, and a lot of the counter-offensive was already underway. In India, at that time a nascent and unrefined media apparatus was emerging due to the internet boom. Online news was becoming a big part of the media landscape and there was a race to break news on this very newsworthy topic. In their fervor, some journalists misreported facts, and cherry picked their stories based on the people and locations to which they had easy access. While the Army formation commanders in Kargil were consumed with war and the strategy related to it, Indian journalists scavenged for information from uncorroborated sources. Some selectively reported on the achievements of the Armed Forces while others were openly critical of the war effort with little knowledge and facts to support such critiques. Army HQ attempted to curb the disinformation by providing daily briefings, but that was not enough for some news channels. In some instances, overzealous reporters speculated on IA plans which perhaps made the enemy aware by reporting plans afoot. This was a sure sign of immature, self-serving journalism when the conflict was at a critical juncture. At a time when there was a need to demonstrate a united front to the troops and show gratitude and appreciation for their efforts, some in the media did not seem to have their back.

Some forward positions which were captured many weeks into the war, such as Tiger Hill, were lauded as key milestones by the Indian media since by then the country was following the story with rapt attention. Meanwhile other significant objectives that were captured earlier, in life threatening and heroic operations, but with little fanfare, never got reported. These include the rout of the enemy in the Batalik sector. Similarly, forward locations that were easy to access by the media or were visible from the National Highway, were reported on more frequently. This indiscriminate reporting, which glorified certain wins by the Armed Forces, led to many early successes of the Kargil war being diminished or taken for granted. To be clear, the resounding success of the Kargil war was not the result only of the achievements of some. This victory belongs to all who fought bravely, planned, strategized and led the effort against a formidable enemy. Sadly, in this momentous war, which led to the ultimate sacrifice by some, not all achievements by soldiers and commanders who led the fight are acknowledged to this day.

On 26 July 2024, India celebrated the 25th Anniversary of its success in the Kargil war. In the last 25 years, many versions of this war have been documented, and many individuals have written on the subject. Some accounts attempt to be analytical and accurate; others embellish the truth and misreport the facts. There are some, especially in the media, who still look for reprisal and assign blame till this day. These armchair warriors, who refer to themselves as investigative journalists or military experts, have never served in the armed forces. They have never lived through the pressure, the trauma, and the danger of war. These are individuals who have never been in an armed battle without a bulletproof vest or endured extreme weather with inadequate equipment, or climbed mountains covered in snow with a belligerent, armed enemy looking down from above. The Kargil Review Committee did a deep dive and declared its conclusions. And yet, these media gurus continue to critically analyze the actions of people who led the Kargil war without understanding the realities of an all-out war with Pakistan. They still dwell on petty hearsay to rake up myths that are incendiary and of no consequence. Some of these journalists raised their profiles on the back of the Kargil War and their careers still seem to depend on writing about it. Maybe it’s time for them to stop obfuscating their lack of firsthand experience by pretending to be military analysts. These people are not patriots. They are a sad reflection of the disingenuous elements of Indian media.

This powerful passage doesn’t merely revisit history—it challenges readers to rethink how narratives of war are shaped. The author sheds light on how the media’s eagerness for breaking news sometimes clashed with the military’s need for operational secrecy and unity. It also reminds us that the true story of Kargil was not written in headlines or soundbites, but in the courage of countless soldiers whose names never reached the front pages.

Twenty-five years later, India-Pakistan: The Intractable Conflict and The China Factor reflects on how lessons from Kargil remain relevant in an era of instant information and online ‘war commentary’. It cautions against the dangers of superficial analysis by those removed from the realities of the battlefield—and calls for a more informed, responsible engagement with national security discourse.

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