Ravinder Sood

Palampur, July 26

Twenty years have passed, but time has not healed his wounds. His fight is for justice and he is making all efforts so that the death of his son and other soldiers in the 1999 Kargil conflict could be declared a war crime.

Dr NK Kalia, father of the 1999 Kargil conflict martyr Capt Saurabh Kalia, today said successive Indian governments had failed to get justice for human rights violation of his son and other soldiers. He accused the authorities of adopting a liberal approach towards Pakistan.

In an interview with The Tribune on the 20th anniversary of the war, Dr Kalia said, “The previous governments followed the policy of appeasement and never wanted to annoy Pakistan. All this happened at the cost of valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the security and integrity of this country in the Kargil war. Despite my repeated requests, the issue has not been raised at international forums,” he said.

He said had the issue been taken up in the International Court of Justice, his son would have got justice.

“I have been moving from pillar to post for the last 20 years. I also approached the Centre as well as national and international organisations on several occasions urging them to pressurise Pakistan to identify, book and punish those who indulged in the most heinous inhuman crime and kept his son in captivity for three weeks and subjected him to brutal torture. However, nothing has been done so far,” said Dr Kalia.

He said the wounds of all parents who had lost their sons and brave soldiers in the war were yet to be healed. “It is not only our loss, but of the entire nation,” he said.

He again urged the Government of India to take up the issue with the international community and ensure punishment for those who indulged in the brutal acts of burning bodies with cigarettes, piercing ears with hot iron rods, removing eyes before puncturing them, breaking most of the bones and teeth and chopping off various limbs and private parts of Indian soldiers, including that of his son.

An emotional Dr Kalia said,” I will continue to fight, hoping against hope, till my last breath.”

An unending battle

• Dr NK Kalia (pic) has been waging a constant battle to get the Kargil conflict declared a war crime in accordance with the Geneva Convention so that the guilty can be punished.
• He had even approached the Supreme Court in 2012 seeking directions to the government to raise his son’s case in the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
• He had also filed a petition with the United Nations Human Rights Council.