"Gebirgskrieg" is the unique theory of mountain warfare. It was first developed during the Austria-Hungary War (1915-19) in Dolomites ranges on Alpine front. This propounds the importance of holding heights, the impossibility of victory and the static nature of the front and a candid admission that maintenance of the status quo is the only achievable military objective, for both sides. Also, the resolution of this conflict is unlikely to be due to victory or a successful offensive, but only as a corollary of other developments. The treaty after the end of the First World War finally led to the closure of the Dolomites front.
'The place of white roses' means the word 'Siachen'. This may be a rare linguistic irony to confer such an exotic name to a place that is devoid of any sign of life. Those who dare go there, carry the risk of returning in coffins. Siachen is the world’s largest non-polar glacier and thus also referred as third pole. Indian Army has lost 849 men and officers till date and a number is counting. We have lost another 10 soldiers in the early hours on February 3, 2016 near Bana post located at an altitude of 19,600 feet, buried under 30 feet snow after an avalanche hit the post. Prime Minister in his tweet saluted the brave soldiers so did other political parties expressing their condolences. This matter will be in our consciousness for a while and then it will be business as usual.
Similarly, in the year 2012, about 135 soldiers of the Pakistani Army and civilians were buried in an avalanche at Gayari in Siachen. Both Indian and Pakistani armies take immense pride in mentioning that Siachen is the highest altitude battlefield in the world. One retired General said, "Siachen has become embedded in the Indian public consciousness as a symbol of national will and determination to succeed against all odds. Siachen has acquired a sanctity of its own, which is part folklore, part military legend, part mythology, and a substantial measure of national pride."
India is spending roughly Rs 7 crore per day for keeping a brigade strength. Indian's spending is comparatively higher because they are on glaciers and, therefore, have to be supported by fleet of helicopters. The Pakistanis have, on their side, developed a road network to support their base camps.
The Cease Fire Line (CFL) of the year 1949 or the Line of Control (LoC) of 1972 between India and Pakistan that ended at NJ 9842 did not foresee any contest in Siachen and, hence, left the map without demarcation beyond this point. The LoC was drawn on the basis of the areas in actual possession of India and Pakistan in the state of Jammu and Kashmir after the 1971 war. Only territories along the international border lost or gained through the war were swapped together with POWs.
As per the delimitation, the LoC at its last point on the map was marked as NJ 9842. This point is around 78 kilometres short of the Siachen Glacier. According to Indian perspective, the "descriptive explanation" of the boundary line beyond NJ 9842 "thence north to the glaciers" has created confusion. India affirms that as per the International Law, the boundary would go north through the nearest watershed, the Saltoro ridge. Pakistan draws a straight line from NJ-9842 going northeast to the Karakoram pass. The former interpretation gives control of the glacier to India, the latter to Pakistan.
In April 1984, Indian Army made a pre- emptive move in to Siachen when some of mountaineering journals of Pakistan had exhibited Siachen as their part of territory and invited mountaineers. It was also learnt that the Pakistani Army was procuring high altitude clothing from UK and Switzerland and was about to occupy the Siachen heights. Immediately Pakistan also moved and placed its troops in Siachen.
But why these two poor countries are blowing their money, resources and killing their men for getting the control of something which does not add to the vitals of their national interests. Both the armies will say that it has strategic value. Indians believe that they are keeping a watch on the activities on Chinese and Pakistanis on Karakoram highways. But why can't this be done with a help of technology? Indians have a great space technology and it is possible to monitor the area with the help of a satellite. Also the services of Drones can be taken to ensure that there is no Pakistani movement in Siachen Area. And if agreed upon, there can be joint recce and patrolling by helicopters consisting both the Army personnel.
This is not that military experts of the either side will agree to. Siachen is a matter of pride, a badge of owner and the macho image of both the armies. They have instituted special medals for Siachen tenure to their military personal. This is a perfect ground for a soldier to lay down his life for the motherland and be the part of regimental history and his village folklore.
It is not that efforts have not been made for demilitarization of this area. Siachen, with an area of over 2500 square km, has a dispute on the location of 150 km long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) that passes through Soltoro ridge and Siachen glacier. In 1989, it is also said that India and Pakistan had come close to a resolution to this conflicts. However, post Kargil in 1999, India has insisted on the authentication and demarcation of current military position on Siachen as the chances of redeployment of troops by Pakistan after demilitarization cannot be ruled out.
Although 13 rounds of diplomatic negotiations on Siachen have taken place between India and Pakistan, the issue remains unresolved. This is partly because of the military logic of Gebirgskrieg coming up against the political desire for a settlement. General JJ Singh of the Indian Army was quoted as saying, "In 2005, my first year as chief, we suffered just two fatalities, way lower than a similar formation in a peace-time location in the plains would on average... There was, simply no reason to give up this position of advantage unless the AGPL [Actual Ground Position Line] was authenticated. If Pakistan did not authenticate the AGPL, it could cross it again — and we'd have to send up our boys to die."
In the aftermath of the Gyari avalanche of April 2012, the Pakistani Prime Minister and their Army Chief were in favour of some settlement on Siachen. This was followed by a statement by the Defence Minister in the Indian Parliament that the government was pursuing "meaningful talks" on Siachen. Just two weeks later, the cover story in the leading English magazine in India asked, "Could the PM gift away to Pakistan what Army has won?" The article included allegations that former prime minister Manmohan Singh was willing to sell out the strategic heights in return for a Nobel peace prize. Any chances of a political resolution from the Indian side were effectively finished from then on.
There is a section of intellectual, media and Army veterans who have now started questioning the continuous presence in Siachen with such a high rate of causalities and prohibitive expenses. There has not been any single shot fired since 2003 but still soldiers are dying because of hostile terrain, severe climatic conditions and high altitude related diseases of frostbite, chilblain, pulmonary edemas etc. But the hard line military strategist version would tell you that the Army preparedness cannot factor natural calamities in the reckoning of costs to life and property. According to them, 'the natural calamities can strike anywhere that includes tsunami at sea level. So can happen avalanche at high altitude. No cost is too high for the national security and pride. The best way to stop war is to keep the armed forces at the best of their operational readiness'. "Demilitarization means 'handing over' Siachen to Pakistan," our military strategists would tell you. We have Army experts on TV channels evocatively making out a case for surgical strikes in Pakistan to dismantle terrorist camps in the aftermath of Pathankot airbase attacks where we lost our seven soldiers. At least they fought and killed the terrorists from Pakistan. Herein Siachen, we lost 10 of our best troops, buried under the snow, without killing a bird on Pakistani side. Who is to be blamed for this loss of 10 precious lives? Can peace be ever given a chance and will there ever be a 'farewell to arms' in Siachen?"
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