On Siachen visit, Rajnath Singh carries out security review, meets troops

NEW DELHI: Defence ministerRajnath Singh on Monday visited the Siachen glacier and carried out a security review of the world’s coldest and highest battleground, amid the ongoing Lok Sabha election campaign.

The minister, accompanied by army chief General Manoj Pande, also interacted with soldiers holding forward posts in extreme weather and tough terrain conditions and lauded them for their valour and determination.

“We are leading a peaceful life as we have an assurance that our brave soldiers stand steadfast at the borders. In the times to come, when the history of national security is written, the acts of bravery and iron-clad will of our soldiers in the icy cold glacier will be remembered with pride. It will forever be an inspiration for future generations,” Singh said in his address.

Northern Army commander Lieutenant General MV Suchindra Kumar and 14 Corps commander Lieutenant General Rashim Bali were also present.

Singh was supposed to travel to Siachen in March to celebrate Holi with the soldiers there, but the visit had to be postponed due to inclement weather. He then spent Holi with soldiers in Leh.

After aerial reconnaissance of the area, Singh landed at the Kumar forward post at an altitude of 15,100 feet where he was given a detailed briefing on the operational readiness of the army and the prevailing security situation, the defence ministry said in a statement. He also discussed aspects related to the operational challenges faced by commanders on the ground.

His visit to Siachen comes at a time when the Indian Army has just completed 40 years of deployment on the glacier. The army launched Operation Meghdoot on April 13, 1984, to evict Pakistani soldiers who had occupied heights in Siachen, a 76-km river of slow-moving ice. Almost 80% of posts on the glacier are located above 16,000 feet, with Bana towering above the rest at 21,753 feet.

Singh described Operation Meghdoot as a golden chapter of the country’s military history. “The success of Operation Meghdoot is a matter of pride for all of us.” He also laid a wreath at a memorial at the Siachen base camp. He said just as Delhi is India’s national capital, Mumbai the financial capital and Bengaluru the technology capital; Siachen is the capital of the country’s courage, grit and determination.

Several rounds of talks between India and Pakistan on demilitarising the Siachen glacier --- an old sore in bilateral ties --- have failed with Islamabad refusing to authenticate troop positions on the ground.

Guns have been silent on the glacier since the November 2003 ceasefire between India and Pakistan, but weather and terrain have continued to claim lives. On the glacier, soldiers deal with altitude sickness, high winds, frostbite and temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius.

India spends ₹5 crore to ₹7 crore daily to guard the strategic glacier. As long as the glacier is under India’s control, the Pakistani army can’t link up with the Chinese and pose a threat to Ladakh. It acts as a wedge between the Shaksgam valley under China’s control and Baltistan, which is occupied by Pakistan.

India currently occupies dominating positions on the Saltoro ridge with Pakistani posts located 3,000 feet below.