The Siachen Glacier, which is 70 kms long and 1 to 2.5 kms wide, is the second largest glacier in the world and is situated between the Saltoro Ridge and Karakoram Range. It is part of the watershed between Central Asia and India. The height varies from 11875 to 18875 ft. Bone chilling winds whip the landscape and avalanches sweep soldiers into crevices. There are three major passes running from North to South- Sia La at 18330 ft, Bilafond La at 17880 ft and Gyong La at 18665 ft. In 1949, the Cease Fire Line was defined up to Point NJ 9842. India wants it to run North West along the Saltro Range, while Pakistan wants it to run North East towards Karakoram Range. Pakistan started showing Siachen as its territory in their maps and gave permission to foreign teams to explore the mountains around. Colonel Kumar, a veteran of two expeditions to the Everest, took permission to explore Siachen. Stobdan, a Ladakhi officer, led his team via Khardungla Pass and Nubra Valley and spent three months in Siachen.
Colonel Kumar’s expedition
An expedition of about 50 men under Colonel Kumar set out in June 1978. Often the mist thickened, making it difficult to distinguish snow from the sky. They climbed the 24631 feet high Sia Kangri peak and looked across to China. They returned after three and a half months and the Indian Army continued to send expeditions to Siachen every year. In 1981, Kumar traversed the entire glacier and hoisted the tricolour at the farthest end and skied to Bilafond La, Sia La and Turkistan La. In a tribute to his reconnaissance that provided vital information to the army, the battalion headquarters located on the Siachen Glacier is named Kumar Base.
Pakistan got alarmed and sent patrols to Siachen in July 1982. Protest notes were exchanged. Lt. General Jahan Dad Khan of Pakistan Army has narrated in his book that about 80 soldiers from Special Services Group (SSG) of Pakistan had established presence on Bilafond La in August 1983, but were ordered to pull out after ten days owing to bad weather. The race started between the two armies to occupy the passes. Pakistan planned to launch the operation in May 1984, considering the weather conditions. Indian Army pre-empted it by defying the weather and moved troops there in April 1984. Operation Meghdoot, planned by Lt. General P. N. Hoon was launched on 13 April 1984.
Occupying Siachen
At 6 a.m., on 13 April, Captain (later Lt. General) Sanjay Kulkarni and another army soldier jumped on to the heavily snow covered Bilafond La from a hovering Cheetah helicopter piloted by the Indian Air Force (IAF). Seventeen sorties of helicopters heli-dropped the remaining 27soldiers. Within a few hours of their landing, the radio operator, Lance Naik Ramesh Singh, had to be evacuated, as he had developed high altitude pulmonary oedema. A blizzard cut off communications for three days, after which a helicopter flew there and confirmed successful occupation of the pass. After establishment of radio communications, Kulkarni passed information about Lance Naik Ramesh Singh’s casualty which was intercepted by the Pakistan Army and it learnt about the presence of the Indians in Siachen. The Pakistan Air Force immediately launched helicopters and even fighter aircraft on reconnaissance missions. The Indian Army responded swiftly by deploying man-portable shoulderfired low-altitude surface-to-air missile systems. Ramesh Singh died four days later and became the first casualty of this war. A platoon of the Ladakh Scouts under Major Ajay Bahuguna was helilifted to Sia La on 17 April. The soldiers were dropped within 5 km east of the pass, from where they had to trek up a treacherous terrain to Sia La. There was no exchange of fire initially, and the area looked like the highest playground. The ski troopers had the best of time. Indian soldiers rightly considered themselves to be heroes, having faced severe terrain conditions and outwitted the Pakistanis. There was a terrific sense of bonding. They sang and danced in short steps, typical of the hill people.
The Pakistani Army had an apprehension that the Indian Army may ingress into Baltistan. They pushed up a large number of soldiers and India responded by increasing their own strength. In the third week of June, Pakistan attacked Bilafond La and were repulsed. There were more casualties due to weather than enemy fire on both sides. Some of the politicians in Pakistan taunted the army for having let the Indians take control of Siachen. They could not think of withdrawal. Nor could India.
In April 1987, the Pakistani Army had occupied a peak overlooking Bilafond La and was interfering with movement of troops and supplies. It was named Quaid Post by Pakistan. On 19 April, one JCO (Jt. Commanding Officer) and five soldiers were killed. This had to be dealt with. A patrol under Lt. Pande and nine men scaled a 1500 feet ice wall to find out the strength and disposition of the enemy. They came under fire and nine of them including Pande were killed. Naib Subedar (later Hon. Captain) Bana Singh volunteered to capture the post. The commanding officer told him not to come back without success. In a daring raid Bana Singh captured the post and was awarded PVC. It has been renamed Bana Post. Pakistan had no hopes of recapturing Bana Post and yet wanted to act “to restore its morale and punish the Indians”, as per Lt. General Imran Ullah Khan, GOC 10 Corps of Pakistan. It attacked Rana and Akbar posts opposite Bilafond La on 18 September. The attack was repulsed and the bodies of Pakistani soldiers lay in the snow for about nine months till allowed to be taken away by the Indians next spring. It was the first time after 1984 that Pakistan dared to go on the offensive. Lt. General Khan tried to cover his failure by calling this defeat more powerful than victory. Over a period of time, the Indian Army went on to gain control of most of the heights on the Saltro Range, west of the Siachen Glacier, and the Pakistani Army is holding posts at lower elevations of the western slopes of Saltro ridgeline. Indian Army has the tactical advantage.
High altitude doctrine
Over the past three decades, the Indian Army, ably supported by the Indian Air Force, has mastered the treacherous mountains and has evolved a high altitude doctrine that is the envy of the world. In the process, the Indian military has shed blood, made enormous sacrifices and braved the elements. The Indian soldier does not show fear.
Every soldier selected for Siachen tenure expresses pride. A Reuter correspondent who extensively toured Siachen area observed that the Indian Army was known to tolerate a far higher level of risk than the western armies. Sepoy Vikram Singh told her that the fear of life and death goes away on joining the army. The new inductees to Siachen are put through a rigorous training programme. They learn ice craft, skills of traversing through soft snow, and go through high altitude treks. About one percent fail and are sent back. In any other army, the percentage would be much higher. Their resilience propels them to carry out death defying acts.
Here great courage and fortitude is the norm.
-Sign at Siachen base
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Brigadier Suresh Chandra Sharma (retd.)
The writer served in the Army for 30 years. Post retirement he served the telecom industry with multinational and Indian corporates. He is also a freelance journalist and has interests in national security issues.[/column]