The Hero of Tiger Hill: Autobiography of a Param Vir

India has fought five wars since Independence, four with Pakistan in 1947- 48, 1965, 1971, and 1999, and one with China in 1962. The Kargil War or Operation Vijay was fought in 1999. In 1998, both India and Pakistan became nuclear power, and this escalated the security concerns of both the countries. Taking initiative, the Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee visited Lahore in February 1999 for peaceful resolution of all pending issues. Pakistan apparently reciprocated but it later turned out to be a ruse. When Lahore Declaration was being signed by the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan, the Pakistan Army launched ‘Operation Badr’ to occupy the posts overlooking Srinagar-Leh Highway in Kargil, vacated by Indian Army during winters. The aim was to cut off the link between Kashmir and Ladakh, and compel India to seek a settlement of the Kashmir dispute.