SRINAGAR The acting chief of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), Colonel Ismo Turunan, has dispelled the fear of a Kargil-type clash between India and Pakistan. He doesnt think any party has plans for any major action.
In an exclusive interview to Observer News Service, Col Turunan, however, hastened to say, Anything can happen if the things are not sorted out and nothing can be said for sure as the situation is quite tense and any skirmish can lead to big trouble. Nothing can be predicted for sure.
He said it was because of the reports that had been appearing in the western media about the possibility of a second phase of Kargil that there is a hardly any western tourist in the Valley this Summer.
He accepted that the UN group, which is primarily here to observe and monitor the ceasefire agreement of 1971 between India and Pakistan, was taken unawares by the Kargil conflict of last year, however, adding that the had no regrets for it. When India with so big military presence and resources could not get even an inkling, how could it be possible for us to know about it. Besides, the terrain is difficult and it was not possible for us, he said.
The UNMOGIP had a field station at Kargil upto 1980, but again, keeping in view last years incidents, he said that it was not politically possible. The Group has 11 field stations spread over both the countries. These are at Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Bhimber, Rawlakot, Kotli, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit and Skardu.
Commenting on the Kargil conflict, he said that although it was very local, it was very fierce as compared to the previous wars between the two countries, because of the fact that the Indian side had double the casualties they had previously suffered in 1971 war. The intensity of Kargil incident has, however, not made much of a difference to the Group. Why so? The Colonel says that they need advanced equipment and men for that. But we dont pursue the ability for round-the-year observation in high mountain areas, he said, adding they were not an advance intelligence group who will warn about things. We dont intend to it.
About the present situation along the line of control (LoC), the Colonel says that although the shelling is continuing, it was not of high intensity. Asked about their role to stop itor about the sufferings of the civilian population, he said that they could do nothing about it as it falls beyond the ambit of their mandate.
We are not missionaries, not teachers but observers; the UN official said adding We are not here to say who did what and when, but simply to observe. But we have enough evidence of the things that are happening here. And we know we are close to reality.
(Kashmir Observer, May 29, 2000)
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