Siachen Day 2023: On Baisakhi of 1984, the Indian Army, in a daring military operation, deployed troops along the Saltoro ridgeline at Bilafond La, followed by Sia La, in order to thwart Pakistan army plans to occupy Siachen Glacier. This successful landing, followed by more soldiers in successive rounds of helicopter sorties, marked the beginning of Operation “MEGHDOOT,” the longest continuous military operation in Indian Army history.
Legends of Siachen
Located between the Saltoro Muztagh (mountain) to the west and the Siachen Muztagh (mountain) to the east is the Siachen (place of roses) Glacier, or Saicher Gharni as it was formerly known. Frequently traversed by the Baltis from beyond the Bilafond (butterfly) La (pass) to its west and the Yarkhandis to its east from the Teram (destroyed) Shehr (settlement) Glacier, it has witnessed the exchange of goods, livestock, and people. The discovery of habitation ruins and pottery fragments on the Teram Shehr plateau by 19th- and 20th-century neo-explorers lends some credibility to these legends.
The valley is named after the Nubra (flowers and trees) River, which originates beneath the Siachen Glacier. The valley extends in a north-to-south direction from Indira (Goddess Laxmi) Col/Turkistan La, the northernmost point of the Siachen Glacier, to Khardung (lower castle) ridge. Following an east-to-west alignment, the Khardung ridge is located to the north of Leh. (plateau). In the past, the Nubra valley served as a summer passage at Saser (golden earth) La, across the Saser Muztagh, for trade caravans travelling from Leh to Yarkhand and beyond to Kashgar in Central Asia.
What is the Meghdoot operation?
Operation Meghdoot was the Indian Army’s operation to secure sovereignty over the Siachen glacier in Kashmir. The operation, which was the first military operation of its kind, was conducted on April 13, 1984, in the morning. The Indian Army is the only army in the world to have transported tanks and other major military equipment to such a height.
In 2003, the late President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam became the first Indian President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to visit Operation Meghdoot personnel.
Operation Meghdoot: Be familiar with the events of April 13, 1984
- The Indian Army resolved to launch the operation on April 13, 1984, after receiving intelligence that Pakistan was planning a similar operation to occupy the glacier by April 17 under the codename “Operation Ababeel.”
- In March 1984, Lieutenant General Prem Nath Hoon led the initial phase of Operation Meghdoot, when Indian troops marched for days with complete battle packs through the icy Zoji La pass to avoid detection by Pakistani radars.
- On April 13, nearly 300 Indian troops were deployed on Siachen’s critical peaks and passes, seizing control of the crucial glacier. Subsequently, India gained control of the 70-kilometer-long Siachen Glacier and its tributary glaciers, as well as all the principal passes and heights of the Saltoro Ridge west of the glacier, including Sia La and Bilafond La. Pakistan could also seize possession of the western slopes and foothills of Saltoro Ridge.
- In 2003, a ceasefire was declared, but India and Pakistan continue to maintain a significant military presence in the region. The conflict has resulted in thousands of fatalities, the majority of which have been caused by extreme weather and natural disasters.
Why is Siachen so valuable?
The Siachen Glacier is the world’s highest battlefield. The Saltoro Ridge protects the routes leading to Leh, the principal city and capital of Ladakh, and overlooks the Gilgit–Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). It has been a source of contention between India and Pakistan since 13 April 1984.
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Siachen Conflict: Origins and History
The Siachen dispute stems from the fact that neither the Karachi Agreement of 1949 nor the Shimla Agreement of 1972 specified who controlled the glacier. The conflict originates from the partially demarcated territory on the map beyond the NJ9842 coordinate. The Shimla Agreement makes no mention of Pt NJ 9842, whereas the Karachi Agreement mentions a ceasefire line that ends at Pt NJ 9842.
Based on the Simla agreement, India believed Pakistan’s territory ended at Saltoro Ridge, whereas Pakistan believed their territory continued northeast from that point to Karakoram Pass. Consequently, both nations assert ownership over the frigid Siachen Glacier.
Rivalry between India and Pakistan on Siachen Glacier
After the 1971 War, the Shimla Indo-Pak agreement redrawn the ceasefire line to NJ 9842, near the Shyok river, and “then north to the glaciers” Utilizing this ambiguity, Pakistan sponsored numerous foreign expeditions across Gyong La, Bilafond La, and Sia La from 1972 to 1983, accompanied by army liaison officers, in an effort to stake claim to the region.
In 1984, secret preparations by Pakistan to occupy the Siachen Glacier region were disclosed by intelligence reports. On the day of Baisakhi, April 13, 1984, the Indian Army occupied the important passes of Bilafond La and Sia La on the Saltoro ridgeline, several days before Pakistan’s D-Day. Thus began ‘Operation MEGHDOOT,’ the most daunting and valiant operation ever undertaken by the Indian Army on the world’s highest and harshest battlefield.The firm success of the Indian Army on Siachen Glacier owes a lot to the dynamism of officers like Col Narendra ‘Bull’ Kumar and Capt Tsering Stobdan Kahlon who physically surveyed the glacier, the vision of Lt Gen ML Chhibber the Northern Army Commander, and the daring of Lt Gen (then Capt) Sanjay Kulkarni of 4 Kumaon, the first Indian soldier to land atop Bilafond La by a helicopter.
The Pakistan Army, unable to secure a settlement on the Saltoro ridge despite repeated attempts over the next two decades, has perpetrated one of the greatest urban legends on their credulous citizens by claiming that they are fighting on the Siachen Glacier. This glacier is situated to the east of the Saltoro ridgeline, which is held by the Indian Army, denying their opponents any view of the Siachen Glacier.
Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) runs from NJ 9842 in the south to north-northwest of Indira Col, near to the India – China Line of Actual Control (LAC). The majority of posts in the sector are located above 6000 meters, and it takes 28 days to reach the most distant post via glacier. At such altitudes, the human body struggles to acclimatise and begins to waste away. Acute Mountain Sickness (severe headache, nausea, breathlessness, blood pressure abnormalities, and severe diarrhoea), Pulmonary Oedema (formation of fluid in the lungs), Cerebral Oedema (formation of fluid in the brain region), and Deep Vein Thrombosis (formation of blood clots in the veins) are among the medical conditions that can be fatal if not treated immediately. Due to the unpredictability of the hostile environment, medical evacuation is also very dubious. Adhering to the prescribed acclimatisation procedure is crucial for minimising high altitude-related casualties.
Siachen Day 2023: On the Frozen Heights
The shrine of ‘OP Baba,’ the highly revered guardian deity of all forces stationed in the Siachen region, is located at the glacier’s terminus. The origins of the legend of “OP Baba” are obscured by the glacier’s own veils of time. It is widely believed that OP Baba was an artillery OP who was killed in action while stationed on the glacier, that his body was never recovered, and that his immortal spirit roams the glacier periodically warning the troops of impending disasters and enemy action. No soldier or attendant sets foot on the glacier without first paying respects at the shrine and then expressing gratitude upon de-enlistment.
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was the first President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to visit Operation Meghdoot personnel in 2003. When informed informally about the guardian divinity, he made an unplanned pilgrimage to the shrine to pay his respects.
Pull Back From Siachen Glacier: A Bad Idea
In 2004, both countries declared a ceasefire along the Siachen Glacier, which persists to this day. Periodically, unconfirmed reports of discussions regarding a mutual withdrawal and demilitarisation of the region emerge. The strategic significance of the Siachen Glacier rests in its ability to provide depth to Leh from the north, as well as to deny and provide crucial alternative access to and from Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) and the Depsang Plains. In light of the probable advent of a joint threat from Pakistan and China, the significance of the region has increased. Kargil in 1999 and Galwan in 2020 are conspicuous evidence of the unreliability of our adversaries and should dispel any notions of an Indian withdrawal from this sensitive and vital region.
