THERE IS a saying that ‘In diplomacy, as in war, the countries must choose their battle wisely’. The big question is whether in the ongoing peace talks between India and Pakistan, the declaring of our earnest desire to convert Siachen, the highest battlefield in the world, into a mountain of peace, as a confidence-building measure (CBM), has our political establishment chosen this particular ‘battle’ wisely?
As a sequel to the Shimla Agreement of 1972, the demarcation of the Ceasefire Line/Line of Control, which took place on the ground in Jammu & Kashmir, between India and Pakistan, ended at the Northern-Most coordinate of NJ 9842.The ceasefire agreement specifically stated that this line continues Northwards to the glaciers. Disregarding this, Pakistan unilaterally drew this line on its map in a North-Easterly direction linking NJ 9842 to the Karakoram Pass, almost 100 kilometres away. This was the genesis of the Siachen dispute.
By 1984, with the Intelligence inputs at its disposal, the Indian Political Establishment was convinced that if nothing was done then Pakistan would soon convert this cartographic aggression into an actual one and establish its influence on the area of the glaciers as claimed by it. In April, 1984, the Indian Army launched Operation Meghdoot and occupied the three most important passes of Gyong La, Bilafond La and Sia La on the Saltro Ridge, flanking the Siachen Glacier. This established the dominance of the Indian Army on the heights overlooking the Pakistan-occupied areas.
The Siachen Glacier heights range from 18,000 feet to 21,000 feet. Except for Kargil, in the annals of military history, no war has been fought at these formidable heights till date. The Indian Army occupying these inhospitable heights has suffered more from the vagaries of the extreme cold climate (temperature remains at minus 40 degrees at an average) and high altitude sickness than by the Pakistani guns.
{{/usCountry}}The Siachen Glacier heights range from 18,000 feet to 21,000 feet. Except for Kargil, in the annals of military history, no war has been fought at these formidable heights till date. The Indian Army occupying these inhospitable heights has suffered more from the vagaries of the extreme cold climate (temperature remains at minus 40 degrees at an average) and high altitude sickness than by the Pakistani guns.
{{/usCountry}}Till date, more than 3,000 casualties have taken place.
Initially these casualties were very high. However, with better equipment, better techniques of survival evolved over a period of time and better knowledge of the terrain and weather, the number of casualties was brought down substantially. With the existing improved living conditions, the Indian Army feels that it can sustain its operation on the Siachen Heights indefinitely.
In the ongoing peace talks between India and Pakistan, President Musharraf has been moving his goal posts at will. Sometimes he talks about dividing the State of Jammu & Kashmir into seven regions and their joint control by Pakistan and India.
At other times, he wants India to demilitarise the districts of Srinagar, Kupwara and Baramula to check militancy.
Recently, he in an interview to a news channel, he said Pakistan had done all it could to control the cross-border terrorism and the current cross-border terrorist activity was the doings of the independent jehadi groups operating from Pakistani soil and were not under the control of the Pakistani Army. In other words, Pakistan was backing out from its written pledge given to India that it would not allow any cross-border terrorism to initiate on its soil.
People read history to draw lessons for the future. In this context, Pakistan stands out as a slippery customer. In the Shimla Agreement of 1972, it was implied that India and Pakistan would sort out all their problems bilaterally.
However, no sooner had the ink dried on the Agreement deed, Pakistan started making all efforts to internationalise the Kashmir problem and launched a proxy war against India in Kashmir. Pakistan also decided to give a go by to the most important unwritten clause of the 1972 Shimla Agreement that Pakistan would recognise the existing LOC as the International Border.
In 1989, India and Pakistan had reached an agreement on demilitarising the Saltoro Ridge with the Indian Army moving over to the East and the Pakistani Army to the West. The Agreement was stalled at the last minute when the Pakistani Army refused to authenticate the maps showing the exact ground locations of both the armies. It needs to be understood that unlike from India, the terrain from Pakistani side to these Glacier passes is comparatively less difficult and supply lines are also easy.
With the Pakistani propensity of disregarding agreements once their interests are served, the Indian Army is right in its demand of the Pakistani Army recording and authenticating on the map, positions currently occupied by both the armies.
It should be done from a position of strength with foolproof guarantees that Pakistan will not stab us in the back. In our desire of entering into a genuine era of peace with Pakistan, we should not forget that loss of Siachen to Pakistan by trickery would be extremely demoralizing for the Indian Armed Forces.
The need of the hour is to carefully weigh all options before taking any step further.