This mountainous region is strategically important for us because whoever has control over it can get his artillery and men posted there and control the areas at the lower level. The aim of the Pakistani intruders is to get themselves entrenched there and try to cut off the Srinagar-Leh national highway which is the lifeline for the entire Leh-Ladakh region.

Some people say that this war-like situation has been created because of the prevailing political instability in our country. But I know that our armed forces are not bothered about the political situation at home. Political stability or no political stability, one-party rule or a coalition government, aBJP government or a Congress government at the Centre, if there is an attempt to infringe our sovereignty, the armed forces will strike back and defend the territorial integrity to the last drop of blood.

I think the armed forces should interact directly with the elected representatives of the people, instead of going through the Defence Ministry officials because they are the best people to explain the situation to. Also, the Army officers should have briefed an all-party meeting and not just the members of BJP's national executive.

I believe that the intelligence agencies completely failed in their duty to warn the Government about the infiltration which had been going on for quite some time. If this information had reached the Army early enough, a lot of lives and so many crores of rupees could have been saved.

Also, the killing of Sq Leader Ajay Ahuja by the Pakistanis should be treated as a war crime. He should have been treated like a Prisoner of War as per the Geneva Convention. Though Pakistansays that the Mujahideen killed him, they cannot escape the responsibility because the Mujahideen are fighting under their command.

(As told to Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay)