M A I N   N E W S

Panel submits report on Kargil to PM
Disfavours public disclosure
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Jan 7 — The four-member Subramanyam Committee, which went into the circumstances leading to the Pakistan intrusion in Kargil last year, today submitted its report to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.

The committee recommended that the report should not be made public “for reasons of national security”.

“Conscious of the fact that the disclosure of some of this information would not be in public interest for reasons of national security, the committee has itself excised the same from its report,” a press note issued by the National Security Council Secretariat said.

The committee was headed by Mr K. Subramanyam, noted defence analyst. The other members were Mr B.G. Verghese, Lieut-Gen (Retd) K.K. Hazari and Mr Satish Chandra, Secretary, National Security Council Secretariat.

The committee, whose terms of references were to review the events leading to the Pakistani aggression in Kargil and to recommend measures necessary for national security against such intrusions, commenced its work on October 31, 1999.

However, on account of the Lok Sabha poll and government formation, it was unable to interact with a number of key actors in time and therefore, requested the government for more time up to December 15, 1999, the note said.

The secretariat took another three weeks to organise the compilation, printing and binding of the report which runs into 2000 pages and 17 volumes, including annexures and appendices.

Though the committee was not statutory in nature, the government had issued specific directions to the ministries and agencies concerned to provide it the widest possible access to all relevant documents, including secret and top secret papers and to officials of the Union and Jammu and Kashmir Governments.

The committee held over a 100 meetings and interacted with eminent political leaders, senior civilian and military officers, present and former diplomats, journalists and members of the public.

It met, among others, former President R. Venkataraman, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister V.P. Singh, I.K. Gujral and P.V. Narasimha Rao, the Home Minister, External Affairs Minister, Defence Minister, National Security Adviser, Cabinet Secretary, service chiefs, secretaries of the ministries concerned, chiefs of intelligence services and Army officers directly involved in the operations.

The committee toured Jammu and Kashmir on four occasions to get a feel of the terrain and interact with local leaders, important officials, both military and civil, besides the media.

It was given a presentation by all three services and other agencies concerned. The committee examined media reports that appeared in the wake of the Kargil conflict for useful leads.

Besides circulating questionnaires to various organisations to obtain relevant information, the Subramanyam Committee perused several books published in recent months on the subject.

“The committee undertook its work in a spirit of complete openness, objectivity and transparency,” the note said.

It visited Bangalore for a discussion with experts on future technological options.

During the course of its inquiry, it accessed highly classified information both in the form of documentation and through its discussions with the leadership, officials — civilian and military — and retired persons.

“The committee received the fullest possible cooperation from the government, the armed forces, the intelligence agencies, the Jammu and Kashmir Government, eminent personalities, including a former President and former Prime Ministers, many retired officials and experts on the subject, mediapersons and members of the public,” the note added.

Mr Subramanyam today hinted it was for the government to decide whether or not to make the report public.

Cabinet to study report

NEW DELHI, Jan 7 (PTI) — The Subramanyam Committee report on Pakistani intrusion in Kargil will be studied by the Cabinet Committee on Security before deciding on the issue of making it public, a spokesman of the Prime Minister’s office said here today.

“The government will see and study the voluminous report and then consider at the highest level what portions of the report could be made public,” he said.