Remembering Kargil is not enough. India must learn the unfinished lesson from the war

In the summer of 1999, beneath the Kargil sky, some of the most difficult battles in India’s military history were fought across bare, forbidding heights. The 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas will be officially celebrated on July 26, a tradition since 1999. It must, however, first belong to the 527 Indian soldiers who did not return, and to the many more who carried the trauma home, in wounds both visible and unseen. Yet, remembrance is more than a ceremony. Wars move us because they reveal what human beings endure for one another. They also teach us how to prevent the next war—and if prevention fails, how not to be surprised. That remains Kargil’s unfinished lesson, which I will turn to in a bit, but first let’s revisit the valorous summer of 1999. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exclusive content, special privileges & more – Subscribe to ThePrint for Special benefits: https://theprint.in/subscribe/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with ThePrint » Subscribe to ThePrint: https://theprint.in/subscribe/ » Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3nCMpht » Like us on Facebook:   / theprintindia   » Tweet us on Twitter:   / theprintindia   » Follow us on Instagram:   / theprintindia   » Find us on LinkedIn :   / theprint   » Subscribe to ThePrint on Telegram: https://t.me/ThePrintIndia » Find us on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2NMVlnB » Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3pEOta8