Kargil after 25 Years

The 25th anniversary of the Kargil War and the hard-fought victory in the daunting Himalayan heights has occasioned recollections as well as stock-taking. The author of the Pakistani intrusions, General Pervez Musharraf, is no more and is barely accorded respect in Pakistan where he ended his days in relative obscurity. The intrusions of Pakistani troops did take India by surprise and there was a heavy cost to be paid in terms of the lives of officers and men tasked with vacating the aggression. The officers who led the early counterattacks on the Tololing heights soon realised that they were confronted with more than a handful of intruders. Their assessment failed to convince the high command in Delhi. It is unclear whether the higher-ups were in denial or did not want to acknowledge the scale of the intrusions. In any case, the ground commanders came under intense pressure to evict the Pakistani regulars who were dressed in civilian clothes. They did so after losing precious lives. It was about a week after the war had begun that a visit by the DGMO and his staff confirmed the extent of the Pakistani ingress and was followed by appropriate levels of reinforcements. In the end, the battle was won with old-fashioned hand-to-hand combat as Indian troops swarmed the heights of Tololing, Drass and Batalik in World War II-style campaigns that were thought to have become obsolete. Things have changed since but much remains to be done. India is building infrastructure that includes tunnels and highways from the foothills that will facilitate quick troop movement. Concerns about the Pakistan border and LoC remain but the Chinese presence has attracted more attention. Advanced capacities to look over the mountain ranges to assess the deployment and strength of PLA troops and equipment require more work. Decades after being suggested by the Kargil Review Committee, the process of integration of the armed forces into theatre commands is finally underway, much to the relief of the government which has kept a wary eye on the cost of duplication and redundancy.

Naidu’s Priorities

TDP leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has got down to business with much fanfare. He came to Delhi looking for assistance for reviving projects and dealing with the fiscal burdens he has inherited. Contrary to the expectations of commentators who believed BJP’s allies would extract their pound of flesh, Naidu’s discussions barely caused a ripple. He did not waste time seeking labels like ‘special status’ and instead concentrated on how to procure assistance for the stalled Amravati capital city and the long-pending Polavaram dam and power projects. The chief minister did not bring up any other matter even as speculation continued as to whether TDP would be given the deputy speaker’s post. In fact, Naidu isn’t even too bothered about representation and portfolios at the Centre beyond signalling that TDP is committed to NDA in Delhi and in Andhra. He has also kept a relatively low media profile in contrast to the past when Naidu’s arrival in the capital was an event closely followed by dozens of television teams. It is understood that the chief minister is concentrating on re-establishing TDP as a party of governance after long bouts in the wilderness.

Training Auditors

The National Financial Report Authority of India (NFRA) and the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) are joining hands to provide modules for accountants and auditors as well as independent directors dealing with public interest companies. These are meant to be part of the professional learning for chartered accountants that has been part of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India’s domain (ICAI). NFRA is the regulator for auditors and audit firms of large and listed companies and hopes that the modules will deliver significant upgrades to auditors dealing with the complex activities of large businesses. NFRA has assumed a more active role in examining the audit processes in view of the objective to make corporate governance transparent and in tune with India’s ambition to become the world’s third-largest economy. There is a view in government that ICAI has not been as quick on the uptake and slackness in supervising auditors has led to embarrassing corporate failures. NFRA has acted against auditors of companies like IL&FS, Café Coffee Day and Reliance Capital. The idea behind the modules is to equip auditors and independent directors to ensure shareholders are given their due importance by holding companies to high standards of financial accountability. The courses for auditors and accountants will be nine months and conducted online for two-three days a week. Courses for independent directors will be three-six months and also online.

Nitish Trusts Sanjay Jha

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to appoint his close associate and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha as working president of JD(U) has important ramifications. A seasoned politician, Jha has good equations with BJP leaders and can be expected to help ensure the alliance runs smoothly. He is also wedded to JD(U)’s political interests and its efforts to reach out to all sections of the electorate even when keeping its core social justice identity intact. The continuance of the JD(U)-BJP alliance after several rocky moments is essential for the party’s plans for the 2025 Bihar elections where it will take on the RJD-Congress alliance. Though NDA had the upper hand in the Lok Sabha polls, the Opposition has made some gains and the state battle will be a tough one. Kumar’s decision to repose trust in Jha is a critical signal about who he will rely on for getting JD(U) battle-ready and working out alliance priorities.

No Let-Up Against Maoists

The Chhattisgarh government is maintaining its pressure on the Maoist ranks through joint operations with the Central paramilitary, causing unease among Delhi-based commentators sympathetic to the ultra-Left. It is becoming clear to this section of Lutyens’ Delhi that BJP’s lack of a majority in Lok Sabha is not going to alter the resolve of the Union government in continuing operations and regaining control of the so-called liberated areas. The decision to proceed with the case filed against author Arundhati Roy and for making alleged speeches calling for the separation of Kashmir from India at an event in Delhi in 2010 under the UAPA was an early indication that the government will continue its campaign against the Maoist ecosystem, whether in the jungles of Jharkhand or at seminars in Delhi organised to ostensibly promote self-determination of oppressed groups.

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