Shikhar Sammelan Kargil: India Also Needs A Pentagon, Says Former Army Chief Gen. Bikram Singh

Kargil Vijay Diwas, named after the successful Operation Vijay, is celebrated every year in memory of Indian soldiers successfully taking command of the high outposts captured by Pakistan during the 1999 war.

Former Army Chief Gen. Bikram Singh.

New Delhi: On the 20^th anniversary of Kargil war, ABP News held a special programme #ShikharSammelanKargil to pay tributes to the martyrs and war heroes. One of the distinguished guests in the Conclave was former army chief Gen. Bikram Singh who called for a centralized military command like America’s Pentagon in India. He said the integrated headquarters on the style of the Pentagon will be vital for a greater synergy between the three forces especially during Joint-Operations. “The integrated headquarter should be set up at a far-flung area and not near the national capital to diminish the impact of collateral damage.” Recalling the days of Kargil war, Singh said the most difficult moment for him was to give information of the martyrs. "During the Kargil war, the most difficult time was when I used to give information about the martyrs. We used to think about the wives and families of those soldiers dying in the line of duty.” Bikram Singh said that Kargil cannot be repeated again. “Kargil war can never happen again. We have all posts occupied in high-altitudes. We have advanced intelligence capabilities & modern technology to thwart any such attack again.” The former Army Chief appreciated the role of the media and said that it encourages the soldiers. Singh said, "The media also fought big in Kargil. The Indian media busted a lot of misinformation and helped in raising the morale of the armed forces." Referring to the Kargil Review Committee, he said that the government was under tremendous pressure as to how could such an incident take place but said "today is the day to rejoice and celebrate the nation’s victory and not reflect upon and criticize intelligence failures." Kargil Vijay Diwas, named after the successful Operation Vijay, is celebrated every year in memory of Indian soldiers successfully taking command of the high outposts captured by Pakistan during the 1999 war.