We will continue to hold Siachen: Army Chief

New Delhi, September 19: Dismissing the peace overtures of his Pakistani counterpart General Ashfaq Kayani, Indian Army Chief General Bikram Singh on Wednesday said that India will continue holding Siachen Glacier as it continues to be strategically important for the country.

Defence Minister AK Antony and Army Chief General Bikram Singh during a visit to J-K

The Army Chief also dismissed idea of any change in the force’s stance vis-à-vis the Glacier –became a point of contention between the two arch-rivals India and Pakistan after Indian Army’s Operation Meghdoot in 1984. Since then the Glacier has earned many monikers like the “Highest Battlefield” and “Frozen Frontier”. “We have not changed (stand on Siachen Glacier). It (Siachen Glacier) is very important. We must continue to hold that area, that is very important,” the General replied in response to a query if there was a change in the Army’s stand following Pakistan Army Chief’s suggestion about withdrawal of troops from the region and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s personal suggestion about turning Siachen Glacier into a peace park.

“We have lost lot of lives there, blood has been shed there. These tops are of strategic importance for us….We have conveyed our concern to the government,” General Singh added.

Siachen War Memorial

It was 28 years ago on April 13 that India started an operation on the world’s highest and unforgiving battleground – the Siachen Glacier – and it is continuing still at the cost of lives of 950 Indian soldiers and an annual spending of around Rs. 730 crore.

The death of 130 Pakistani soldiers in Siachen Glacier following a massive avalanche has brought back the focus to the highest battleground in the world where more lives have been claimed by weather than by bullet.

The total number of deaths on the Indian side of the 72 km-long Glacier since 1984, when Indian troops captured the dominating heights in the region, has been 950 whereas 12,000 soldiers have suffered injury. The number declined considerably following a ceasefire between the two countries in 2003.

Siachen Trek to start on August 27

Amidst growing clamour from Pakistan for withdrawal of troops from Siachen Glacier, the Indian Army's annual civilian trek to the glacier on August 27, albeit sans any media persons. The Army's attempt is aimed at keeping the annual trek low-key this time around.

This is me at the Siachen base camp when I participated in the 2008 trek to the Glacier

The civilian trek, essentially comprising of volunteers from mountaineering institutes and military schools, has been conducted by the Indian Army since 2007 as part of the Indian government's policy to assert control over the region, often dubbed as the highest battle ground in the world with the highest post on the Indian side located at over 22,000 feet. Since 2007, barring in 2010 when cloudburst at Leh forced the Army to cancel the trek, the expedition has been an annual feature.

The Siachen Glacier, the longest non-polar glacier, became the bone of contention after India pre-empted a Pakistani operation in 1984 under a "Operation Meghdoot'. The Glacier saw bitter battles as the two countries fought to gain control over the frigid heights that do not allow even a blade of grass to grow. More soldiers fell to the extreme weather than to the bullets of the enemy. There has been ceasefire on the glacier since 2003.

The Siachen Trek has been a source of invaluable experience for people seeking to write on military and strategic issues as the solution of this contention between the two arch-rivals in the sub-continent is still not in sight.

Sustaining a strong appetite in the cold environment of the Glacier is the key to remain alive there. In 2008 when my fellow trekkers lost weight I was the only one to have gained 2kg all thanks to the loads chocolates given as ration!!!

For more details read 28 years of Siachen battle and still counting and Siachen Trek: An Experience of Lifetime ) 

After Siachen talks freeze, eyes on Sir Creek talks

With "frank" Indo-Pak talks on the issue of Siachen Glacier – the highest battlefield in the world – failed to reach any resolution due to Islamabad's non-willingness to climb down from its position, the June 18-19 negotiations on Sir Creek falling between Indian Kutch region and Pakistan's Sindh province are likely to meet the same fate.

According to sources, when Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma met his Pakistani counterpart Nargis Sethi in the Garrison city of Rawalpindi" frank exchange of views" took place. Sharma is said to have told the Pakistani delegation that the history of Indo-Pak relations especially in the light of Kargil conflict in 1999, does not advise any "drastic" change at the 72-km-long Siachen Glacier.

"The Defence Secretary also informed the Pakistani delegation, which was keen for demilitarization of the Glacier, that in the light of historical precedence the Indian government's position is very difficult and any withdrawal would become very difficult to explain to its citizens as Pakistan has proved to be untrustworthy time and again," sources said.

"Even as Pakistan had been making noises of reaching a resolution on the Siachen Glacier issue in the aftermath of losing 130 soldiers in a massive avalanche, it was not willing to accede to our demand of authenticate the present troop positions on the ground," sources added.

Now all eyes are on the June 18 talks on about 100-km long Sir Creek that will be held in New Delhi. The Sir Creek dispute consists of three parts – a land boundary from Rajasthan to Gujarat, the water channel and the maritime boundary. While the land boundary is more or less agreed upon, the delineation of boundary in Sir Creek channel is the main bone of contention with the maritime boundary also hinging upon it. Sir Creek is important as it will decide the Exclusive Economic Zone in the sea falling in both 

country's control and the ability to use the Creek waterway for naval and civil shipping.

The dispute has been about a 100 year-old. In 1913 for the first time the area was contested by Rao Saheb of Kutch and Chief Commissioner of Sindh. The Government of Bombay gave a verdict in 1914, which forms genesis of the Sir Creek dispute between India and Pakistan post independence in 1947.

While Pakistan has been citing Paragraph 9 of the verdict to claim that boundary lies to the east of Sir Creek implying that the region belongs to Pakistan. India, on the other hand, cites Paragram 10 that indicates that the Creek remains navigable for the complete year and brings in international Thalweg principle. As per this principle, if a water body between two countries is navigable for the most of the year the boundary has to be fixed in its middle and it is to be divided between the two countries equally.

The negotiations on the issue received a major boost as the two countries agreed to conduct a joint hydrographic survey of the area to ascertain its navigability. The Creek was found to be entirely navigable by naval units of both the countries and the report finding was Okayed by both the sides. 

According to officials in 2008, however, Pakistan did another flip-flop and refused to accept the established navigability and thus the applicability of Thalweg principle.

Vice Admiral (retd) BR Rao, who as Chief Hydrographer of the country was part of the joint survey conducted by the two countries in 2007 told the Defence Express, "In my personal opinion the main channel of Sir Creek will be difficult to resolve because of democratic government on both sides making giving away of even one inch of land inconceivable. One can presume that the resolution of main channel will only by political masters."

Vice Admiral Rao who has been part of negotiations of maritime boundary disputes with Bangladesh and Myanmar, suggested delinking of the maritime boundary issue that will decide the Exclusive Economic Zone from the land boundary dispute. "Maritime boundary starts from where land boundary ends.

But in absence of a land reference point I advised to delineate maritime boundary seawards. Both the countries had agreed on boundary from 200 nautical miles away from coast to 150 nautical miles towards the land.

"During this time Musharraf (Pakistan President) was keen to resolve the maritime boundary issue. In fact the Pakistan delegation told us that they could resolve the maritime boundary issue in 5-10 minutes but they would like to consider all the three issues in composite, which means the solution will not be anytime soon."

Over a period of time the geography of the region as also changed with the channel of the Creek changing its course to westwards. Citing this Pakistan in the 2011 Sir Creek talks staked claim on the mouth of Sir Creek and the adjoining creek on India side known as Pir Sanai creek. The land mass dividing Peer Sanai Creek and Sir Creek in old maps has disappeared over these years. The unreasonable position of Pakistan derailed the talks last year, with only take away was the willingness to meet again.

The Peer Sanai Creek is important for India as it is used by its naval

assets. Pakistan's control over the mouth of the Creek would give it a leverage to block it for use by Indian warships and merchant vessels. In the 2011 talks a critical Indian concession also did not find favours with Pakistan. As the Channel of Creek changed its course to West and equal division of the water body would have meant a closer boundary with Sindh province much to the discomfort of Pakistan. Keeping this in mind India conceded to ignore the westward lunge of the channel and divide it equally

from the middle.

26 Indian soldiers died in Siachen last year

 

The death of 130 Pakistani soldiers in Siachen Glacier following a massive avalanche has brought back the focus to the highest battleground in the world where more lives have been claimed by weather than by bullet.

The total number of deaths on the Indian side of the 72 km-long Glacier since 1984, when Indian troops captured the dominating heights in the region, has been 950 whereas 12,000 soldiers have suffered injury. The number declined considerably following a ceasefire between the two countries in 2003.

However, last year only India has lost 26 brave soldiers while guarding those frigid heights. Here is the reply given by Defence Minister AK Antony in the Parliament.

 Siachen War Memorial at the Siachen Base Camp

“The number of casualties in Siachen in the last one year is 26.

Twelfth Round of Defence Secretary level talks were held between India & Pakistan on 30-31 May 2011, during which both sides welcomed the ongoing dialogue process, contributing to an enhanced understanding of each other's position. It was also agreed to continue the discussions in a meaningful and result oriented manner.”

 Troops trekking to forward posts on the Glacier

28 years of Siachen battle and still counting

It was 28 years ago on April 13 that India started an operation on the world’s highest and unforgiving battleground – the Siachen Glacier – and it is continuing still at the cost of lives of 950 Indian soldiers and an annual spending of around Rs. 730 crore.

The guns have been silent in the region since 2003, but the death of 120 Pakistani soldiers on April 7 in an avalanche hitting their side of the Glacier has been reminder of the price both the countries are paying to assert their claims over the frozen and barren peaks. Despite, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh repeatedly expressing his desire to turn Siachen into “Glacier of Peak” the solution of the nearly three decade imbroglio is not in sight.

“We have been spending on an average Rs. 2 crore daily to maintain our posts in the Glacier. We have tried to bring down the costs through various innovations like clothing, shelters and food for the soldiers,” said a defence official.

When Indian Armed forces were preparing to capture the dominating heights in the 76-km long Glacier of slow moving ice under Operation Meghdoot in 1984, it was an unchartered territory for them. To pre-empt Pakistani troops the Indian Air Force (IAF) operated its helicopters for the first time in the Glacier (stretching their prescribed working capacity) and the Indian Army troops trekked up to 23,000 feet – where Oxygen is rare and temperature can plummet to 60 degrees below zero.

Ill-equipped in terms of clothing and living facilities, both countries have lost more men to weather than to the bullet. On the Indian side while 950 soldiers lost their lives, over 12,000 have suffered cold related injuries like frost-bite and hypothermia.

“Now we have sourced better winter clothing for the troops, the Defence Scientists have laid down a proper acclimatization procedure for the troops going there to avoid casualties. And tenure of soldiers in the glacier is now restricted to three months at a stretch,” said officials. According to research times spent in the Glacier beyond this period can cause forgetfulness and will actually reduce the longevity of the soldiers posted there.

Availability of packaged food and contribution of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to grow vegetable for the soldiers in the cold desert of Ladakh has also helped in cutting the cost and boosting the morale of the force. A visit at Siachen base camp will reflect of the advent of technology has eased the drudgery of the one of the longest stand-off between two armies across the globe – like better communication network.

However, still a soldier has to trek for 128 kms in 28 days to reach the Bana post – the highest on the Indian side at 23,000 kms. Indians are sitting on dominating positions on the Glacier with a great strategic value for acting as buffer between Chinese controller Shaksgam valley and Pakistan occupied Baltistan.

The bone of contention is that 1949 Karachi agreement mentions no demarcation of border between the two countries beyond a peak marked NJ-9842 for reference and mentions that thereafter the border lies northward of the Glacier. This leaves a room for interpretation.

Pakistan claims that the line joins NJ 9842 with Karakoram Pass, which is North West of NJ 9842. The Indian position is that the line runs towards the glaciers along the watersheds formed by the Saltoro Range as per the internationally accepted principle of border delineation.

(Also read  Siachen Glacier )

MoD clears 20 new Snow scooters for Siachen in 3 months

Remember the stint of George Fernandes as the Defence Minister during NDA regime when the lack of snow scooters in the Siachen Glacier, known to be the highest battleground in the world, due to the lackadaisical attitude of the babus in the South Block. The flamboyant defence minister, who has been visiting the troops in the location even the harshest of weather, sent the babus packing to Siachen to see the need for the scooters. And within three days bureaucrats realised the need.

Cut to 2010, the Defence Ministry has signed a contract for procurement of 20 Snow Mobiles with M/s BRP, Finland in December 2010. The complete set was received, inspected and deployed in Siachen by March 2011 in a "record time frame of three months", MoD claimed in its annual report.

To understand Siachen Glacier and the hardships faced by the troops better read these reports  - Siachen Glacier

Home they bring dead warriors in noodle cartons

NEW DELHI, Oct 9, 2011: Honour in death is what every soldier aspires for. But even that was denied to the two soldiers of the Indian Army posted in the Siachen Glacier. What else could explain the mortal remains of two officers martyred in a fire at a forward base in the Siachen area, the world’s highest and coldest battleground, being packed in instant noodle cartons and sent back.

On July 23, Major Gurbhej Singh and Lieutenant Archit Vardiya were killed when their bunker at 19,000 feet in the northern part of Siachen Glacier, where Indian and Pakistani forces have confronted each other since 1984, accidentally caught fire. A soldier posted at Siachen said on condition of anonymity: “Both the officers were charred beyond identification. Their remains had to be scraped off from the site.” 

Another soldier said: “The only packing material available was noodle cartons. The remains were choppered down.” 

The 1.1-million strong Indian Army, which takes pride in giving a respectful burial even to its enemies, does not see any wrong in packing the remains of its soldiers in cartons. 

That the last bad news from Siachen was about a scam in the procurement of coffins makes the current state of affairs worse.

The bereaved families of the two officers could not even conduct their last rites as their remains were sent for scientific identification. The Kapurthala-based father of Major Ghurbhej Singh, himself a retired Indian Army officer, Colonel Rajinder Singh, has no words to express his sorrow. Gurbhej is survived by his wife Sarbjit Kaur and three-month-old son Agamjot. 

A close friend of Gurbhej Singh’s family in Kapurthala said: “Honour in death is the only thing a soldier aspires for. But the callousness observed by the army in this episode has shocked everyone in the family and the village.”

The incident of callous treatment meted out to its martyrs at Siachen is not the only one in two decades of deployment. In a battlefield where the weather claims more lives than bullets the army is yet to find an honourable way to retrieve the bodies of its soldiers from the dominating feature of the Siachen area–the Saltoro Ridge.

“In some incidents when soldiers die at these heights their bodies get rigid and hence cannot be accommodated in the Chetak and Cheetah helicopters. These are very small helicopters operating in the glacier. Hence at times the body has to be amputated and packed in whatever is available at the post,” said another officer presently posted at the Army Headquarters and who was deployed at Siachen in late 1980’s.

The army in several cases has been exercising the option of putting the body in a sleeping bag and tying it to a ladder so that it can be carried by two soldiers to lower heights. But the time and efforts consuming option is not exercised every time.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been aspiring for a “peace park” in Siachen, but the government seems to be overlooking how the army and air force have been sustaining their men and posts at the cost of themselves.

Guts a pre-requisite to fly over Siachen Glacier

Siachen Base Camp, Nov 6, 2008: 'Guts are the pre-requisite to fly here'. A plaque at the Indian Air Force's (IAF) 114 Cheetah Helicopter Unit aptly summarizes the harsh environment that the aviators have to face while operating on the Siachen Glacier, once known as the highest battlefield in the world at 22,000 ft. 

For IAF pilots, landing on some of the world's highest helipads like Sonam (20,000 feet) and Amar (20,114 feet) is a daily affair. Army pilots also push their helicopters beyond their performance limits to maintain the supply to the forward posts located at the frozen frontier.

Considering these operations in the light of regular enemy firing, unpredictable weather, temperatures between minus 40 and minus 60 degrees Celsius, one realises the guts behind the glory.

'The Siachen Glacier is the most challenging place to land a helicopter. We carry out lots of calculations involving power of the helicopter and load carried in the prevailing density of air, wind conditions and altitude,' Col. Ajay Gogna told IANS.

He has been flying the Cheetah helicopter in the treacherous terrain of the Siachen Glacier, dropping supply at various posts and evacuating casualties.

'At times we have to evacuate casualties from difficult terrain and from unprepared helipads. An officer should be mentally prepared to carry out all tasks with perfection,' Gogna said.

The pilots operating in the region are called 'Fliers of the Roof of the World' and 'Siachen Saviours' for the role they assume for sustaining the huge logistical exercise on the glacier.

Kerosene, needed by soldiers to fire heaters and melt ice to obtain water at posts where even a bucket of boiling water turns into ice within 15-20 minutes, used to be supplied by the helicopters till army engineers constructed a special 121 km-long pipeline connecting the Siachen base camp to some positions on the glacier.

A battalion of Indian troops was rushed to Siachen in 1984 under 'Operation Meghdoot' to stave off efforts by Pakistani units to occupy the 76-km-long glacier. Since then, the army and the IAF have mounted a huge logistical exercise to maintain troops at forward posts and to evacuate casualties.

The pilots take their Cheetah helicopters, based on a design of 1960s vintage and meant to fly only at altitudes of up to about 15,000 feet, to posts located as high as 21,000 feet.

The medium lift Mi-17 helicopters have been carrying out successful air-drops to the lower level (up to 17,500 ft) helipads in the area and have been the backbone of air maintenance. The Cheetahs then take over the challenging task of ferrying supplies and men to helipads situated up to about 20,000 feet.

The aviators put it this way - 'We do the difficult as a routine, the impossible may take a bit longer.'

Siachen trek: The experience of a lifetime

Siachen Glacier (2008)

It was for me the experience of a lifetime: an eight-day trek up the Siachen Glacier in Jammu and Kashmir, once regarded as the world's highest battlefield at 22,000 feet where the guns have been silent since 2003 after an India-Pakistan truce.

The 80-km trek from the Siachen Base Camp to Camp 3 and back by a 32-member group of defence personnel, military school students and journalists served to vividly bring out the hazards and pitfalls Indian Army soldiers have to face on what was also the world's coldest battlefield where temperatures dip below - 65 degrees Celsius.

Food goes stone cold as soon as it is taken off the burner, washing your face becomes a luxury, and drinking water smells of the kerosene used to melt the ice. Yet, the soldiers stoically endure this, serving for a minimum of three months on the glacier in a two-year tenure in the area.

I was among five women, including two journalists, who survived the arduous but adventurous trek:

Day 1: Full of enthusiasm and unaware of what lay ahead, the group set off for Camp 1, our first destination. Meandering through rock debris the task was made all the more difficult by the special clothing, 2.5-kg shoes and the 20-kg rucksack that each of us carried.

Walking in ropes of five, the trekkers paused every 10 minutes to catch their breath, prompting Col. Satish Sharma, the Commanding Officer of the Army Mountaineering Institute to remark: "You have been walking in between breaks while it should have been other way round."

The team reached Camp 1 at 6 p.m. just before sunset and was served peanuts and hot tea - which seemed a luxury at those frigid heights, surrounded by the Saltoro Ridge on one side and the Karakoram Range on the other.

The first night in a sleeping bag was difficult and one also had to accommodate the camera, shoes, socks and hand gloves to keep them warm.

Day 2: After getting an inkling of the vagaries ahead and hearing from team leader Lt. Col. A.L. Maini that the stretch to Camp 2 was the toughest, we did not feel like coming out of our sleeping bags. This apart, we also shunned our everyday luxuries like bathing as the mercury registered -10 degrees Celsius.

The 14-km-long stretch involved crossing deep crevasses over ladders and walking over the snow, wearing crampons - spikes that are tied under the shoes to get a grip on the slippery snow.

Matching steps with each other, holding on to one another when someone tripped on frozen rivulets and crossing many ladders, we managed to reach the halfway point at around 1 p.m.

Camp 2 was achieved at around 6 p.m., after crossing the toughest stretch of a two-km snow desert and moraines.

The night was a delight with a full moon ethereally bathing the snow-clad peaks.

Days 3 and 4: Heavy snowfall between Camp 2 and Camp 3 confined us for all of two days, with virtually nothing to do other than waiting for our meals.

The group then zeroed in on playing cards. I guess it was the longest cards session at those heights from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m., a record of sorts.

Day 5: The temperature declined after a night of snowfall but the two-day layover redoubled the team's determination to complete the trek. We set off for Camp 3 with new vigour even though the thick snow layer made walking difficult.

After trekking for 16 km the team reached Camp 3, where the temperature was a bone chilling -25 degrees Celsius. The whole team was so exhausted that everybody just went to sleep.

Day 6: The previous night brought with it a peculiar problem: the sleeping bags were full of ice when we woke up due to the heavy condensation.

We could well imagine what the soldiers had to face, when at the height of winter, the temperature plummets to -65 degrees Celsius at Bana Post, the highest point of the glacier located at an altitude of 22,000 feet.

After unfurling the tricolour at Camp 3 we started on our return to the Siachen Base Camp. This time our speed surprised us all and in record time we reached Camp 2, which we felt was like home after spending three nights there.

Days 7 and 8: From Camp 2, in what seemed to be a cakewalk, we reached Camp 1 and then the Siachen Base Camp. It was fairly easy now, with our bodies having acclimatised better.

Would I do it again? Most certainly - because I'm now a veteran of sorts!

(This was the piece I wrote for Indo-Asian News Service after completing the eight-day arduous trek to the highest battlefield in the world in 2008.)

Yoga at Siachen - highest battleground!

New Delhi, July 13, 2011: Yoga is the latest weapon in the arsenal of the Indian soldiers posted on the forbidding heights of Siachen Glacier – better known as the highest and coldest battleground in the world where guns have been silent since 2003. 

At altitude varying between 10,000-23,000 feet and temperature dipping to -65 degree Celsius, slight physical activity on the part of the soldiers leave them gasping for breath, a little negligence can either cause a sub-burn or a frost bite, food goes stone cold as soon as it is taken off the burner, washing your face becomes a luxury and drinking water smells of kerosene used to melt the snow. The three-months on the glacier in two year tenure in the Siachen-Saltoro region could be a real test of one’s physical and psychological mettle.

It takes more than equipment to conquer those heights, on the other side of which is sitting Pakistan Army. Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Life Sciences laboratories are using the ancient wisdom like Yoga and cotemporary innovation like growing strawberries and vegetables in the otherwise barren Ladakh region to make life better for soldiers in the glacier.

DRDO’s Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS) lab has devised a Yoga regime for the soldiers in posted to the region.

“At those heights, the physical capacity and the load carrying capacity of the soldiers decrease considerably due to lack of oxygen. Also the body is constantly losing heat to the environment. We have sought to minimize the affect of harsh climate through Yoga,” DRDO’s Chief Controller of Research and Development Dr William Selvamurthy elaborated.

The soldiers need to perform certain form of exercise at those heights to accustom their heart and lungs to the low oxygen content in the atmosphere. According to the research conducted by DIPAS the oxygen demands during yogic exercises are much less as compared to other form of conventional exercises.

So far, 2000 army personnel posted at the Ladakh-based 14 Corps have been trained in the Yoga, they in turn would impart the knowledge to all soldiers going to the region.

Besides Yoga, DRDO’s plantation drive in the cold-desert of Ladakh has literally started bearing fruits. Due to the efforts of Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), located in Leh and an obscure village of Partapur, the region- completely devoid of rainfall - now boasts of growing strawberries, pears, peaches and water-melons. Today the region is produces 13 types of apple due to collaboration of scientists and local farmers.

“We have been working really hard to provide fresh food for the soldiers at Siachen. Now we have the capacity to supply 5000 metric tonnes of vegetables to the army,” Dr. Selvamurthy said. DIHAR is celebrating its diamond jubilee this year.

The initiative is important for the Indian Army, as its soldiers voluntary give non-veg as they start their posting at various camps on Siachen Glacier. The belief is that non-veg and tobacco at Glacier would bring ill-fate for the unit and its members in Siachen, where more than enemy bullet the extreme weather can take you down.

The DIHAR scientists are helping the local population in growing various plants making use of economical methods for green-house and trench cultivation.

“DIHAR has made a hybrid cow and buffalo that is capable of giving 18 litres of day per day,” said the distinguished scientist.

Selvamurthy sums it up: “We have been mandated to increase the lethality, survivability, efficiency and sustainability of our soldiers at that altitude. After all it is the man behind the machine that matters the most.”