The real puzzle in the Kargil crisis is how so many Pakistani-backed infiltrators couldcome in without anyone knowing. Last week the puzzle was solved. The home ministryreceived a report from the intelligence unit of the bsf. The report says that the Army wasignorant about the infiltration until early May even though it had begun in early January.It was only a group of local hunters who told the army about the intruders.
The infiltrators met with no resistance. There was nobody to resist them. The army hadleft the area unmanned. The report accused the army of taking the intrusion in the Kargilsector too lightly.
What the bsf forgot to mention in its report was the curious case of Azhar Shafi Mir, aKashmiri militant. He was captured by the bsf in December. During interrogation herevealed to the intelligence agencies in considerable detail the Pakistani plan to sendmilitants into Kargil to disrupt the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway.
For three months the intelligence agencies kept this information a closely-guardedsecret. They kept it so secret that even the Indian army knew nothing about it. Only afterthree months were army officials allowed to take Azhar to the concerned areas forconfirmation. By then there was no evidence on the ground to substantiate his tale.
However the intelligence agencies themselves did tape Azhar in detail. They passed thetapes to the concerned authorities in Delhi. That was proof that they had done their job.What did the concerned authorities do? Probably they thought the information was plantedby the enemy. raw would have thought IB planted false information. IB would have suspectedraw. Both agencies guard against misinformation and infiltration. Recently raw expelled animportant infiltrator. It succeeded in ousting an IB officer who had infiltrated its ranksas the acting director. Both agencies are so busy countering each other that it leavesthem little time for China or Pakistan.
Sometime back our intelligence agencies could not apprehend Mast Gul, destroyer ofChrar-e-Sharif, after he gave an interview to Zee TV in Srinagar. Mast Gul escaped toPakistan. Should it have been permitted then that the army apprehend over 500 infiltratorswho encroached into Kargil? After all, whatever their differences, our intelligenceagencies do work like a team when it comes to fighting the enemy.
They ensure the home ministry defeats the defence ministry.
An eye for an eye,
A tooth for a tooth,
When spy fights spy,
It's rough and uncouth!
