Kargil martyr Saurabh Kalia case: 16 years on, justice in sight

On June 9, 1999 almost exactly 16 years ago, Dr NK Kalia and his family were handed the tortured body of Captain Saurabh Kalia. All these years, Dr NK Kalia and his family struggled to get justice for the barbaric killing of their son Capt Kalia. While they struggled, the Kargil martyr's parents would surely been astonished, or perhaps shocked, by the apathy of the Delhi establishment to this and seemingly all things to do with those who serve and die for the country.

Captain Kalia and the five-man patrol of Sepoy Arjun Ram, Sepoy Bhanwar Lal Bagaria, Sepoy Bhikaram, Sepoy Moola Ram and Sepoy Naresh Singh were the first casualties of the then Pakistan president Pervez Musharaff-inspired Kargil "conflict". They were ambushed, captured and tortured in May 1999 and their bodies handed over to India on June 9, 1999. Conflicts between nations are inevitable even after history has told us about futility and tragic human suffering caused by it. But there are international laws like the Geneva Convention that govern the treatment of prisoners. That the treatment of Captain Kalia and his men was in contravention of this is irrefutable. A crime was committed on that day of May 1999 and so justice must be done.

For several years I had pursued this justice on behalf of the family with the UPA and present government in Parliament. On December 7, 2012, frustrated by then UPA government's apathy to my various letters, requests and parliamentary interventions, I filed a petition with UN Human Rights Council. In July 2014, I intervened again in Parliament with the new government and received a bureaucrat-inspired reply that implied a status quo, causing much disappointment and heartburn since this government was expected to be different. So yesterday's announcement by Sushma Swaraj that the government would also pursue this is very good news and is a huge first step for Captain Kalia's family's pursuit for justice. By doing this, the government has also signalled that it understands its duty towards those who serve and sacrifice.

For the Pakistan establishment and army, this is a moment to transform and distance itself from the types of Musharraf as well as its own barbaric past and enter the realm of professional armies of civilised nations.

For India, this is a time and moment to distance itself from the apathy of the UPA years to one where service and sacrifice are revered and crimes against any Indian will be relentlessly pursued and never forgotten.

Thank you external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for doing the right thing!