Captain Saurabh Kalia is a famous soldier in the burning memories of Kargil today, when the memories of the Kargil war, in which India successfully defended the Pakistan army that invaded the Indian soil, turns 25 years old. The period from the Indian Army’s attack on Thololing on the night of June 19, 1999 to the capture of Tiger Hill on July 4 was the most crucial period in the Kargil War.
Captain Saurabh Kalia was only 22 years old when he was captured by the Pakistan Army in May 1999, which started the Kargil war. Kalia was the first Indian soldier to die in the Kargil War. Captain Saurabh Kalia is a vivid memory on every Kargil day. Captain Kalia and five jawans were the first to face the Pakistani infiltrators. Saurabh Kalia, the son of NK Kalia and Vijaya, was born on 29 June 1976 in Amritsar, Punjab. Education in schools and colleges in Himachal Pradesh. He also received many scholarships during his education.
Kalia was selected for the Indian Military Academy in August 1997. Saurabh Kalia was the leader of a patrolling team in Kargil in the first weeks of May. On May 15, Kalia along with soldiers Arjun Ram, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria, Bhika Ram, Moolah Ram and Naresh Singh encountered Pakistani soldiers near the Line of Control. But as they ran out of ammunition and weapons, they were caught by the Pakistani soldiers.
Kalia, Arjun Ram, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria, Bhika Ram, Moola Ram and Naresh Singh suffered brutality during their 22-day imprisonment. A hot iron rod was inserted into the eardrum, eyes were gouged out, teeth were knocked out, bones were crushed, lips, nose and genitals were cut off. These Indian soldiers suffered a lot for the country of their birth.
His brother Vaibhav Kalia, who received Kalia’s body that day, said, ‘We could not identify his body. There was nothing left on that face. No eyes and no ears. There were only eyebrows. His eyebrows were like mine. That is why it is identified as ‘. Even today, the parents have kept the check signed by their son for the household expenses before going to Kargil for the memory of their beloved son.
Captain Saurabh Kalia: Captain Saurabh Kalia is a native of Amritsar, Punjab. Kalia was selected for the Indian Military Academy through the Combined Defense Services examination conducted by UPSC and joined the force in 1998. His first posting was in January 1999 in the 4th Battalion of the Jat Regiment in the Kargil sector. What Happened That Day: On May 15, 1999, Captain Saurabh Kalia and five other soldiers went on a routine patrol at Bajrang post in the Kaksar sector of the Ladakh mountains. This was a treeless area. Very soon there was firing from the side of Pakistani soldiers.
He wondered for a moment what was going on but the next moment the Indian Army also fired back. There is continuous firing between the two sides. After some time Captain Kalia and his team run out of ammunition. Seizing the opportunity, a platoon of Pakistani Rangers surrounded the Indian group. They were captured alive and imprisoned. Captain Kalia and his team are brutally tortured for 22 consecutive days. On June 9, 1999, the Pakistani army returned the bodies to India.
Pakistan’s ‘eyeless’ brutality: Soldiers’ post-mortem report exposes demonization of Pakistani forces The soldiers had cigarette burn marks all over their bodies. Pierced iron bars through the ears,Lips, nose, private parts and limbs were cut off. The eyes of the soldiers were gouged out after being beaten and crushed. Most of the soldiers’ teeth were broken. Many bones were broken. The skulls were fatally fractured. The post-mortem report shows that all these injuries were inflicted before death. After brutal torture, the soldiers were shot and killed.
Fight for justice: The Pakistan government claims that Captain Kalia and the soldiers died due to bad weather and their bodies were found in a ditch. In October 1999, the then Army Chief, General VP Malik, visited Captain Kalia’s house and assured to take up the issue with the Government of India.But the Army later informed Capt Kalia’s father that only the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Ministry of Defense (MoD) could resolve it as it was a sensitive issue involving two countries. The father appealed to all these offices.
In 1999, his father sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan through the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi but did not receive a reply. On the eve of the 2001 Agra Summit, Captain Kalia’s father requested a 10-minute talk with then-Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf, but was denied. Although the National Human Rights Commission was approached, it was told that it has no right to take action on such matters. The Armed Forces Tribunal had directed the Government of India to intervene with Pakistan on the issue. A case was filed in the Supreme Court in 2012.
Government responses
The Narendra Modi government has clarified that it is not feasible to approach the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Pakistan on the issue. The reaction came after Captain Kalia’s family demanded an international probe in the Supreme Court. India’s position is that it is a bilateral issue and the ICJ should not interfere in bilateral issues or internal affairs.
