Siachen Glacier : The Highest battleground on Earth

India Will Not Leave Siachen Thursday, April 12, 2012 By : Defence News Admin

The horrifying tragedy of Pakistani soldiers who got buried under an avalanche in Siachen is very much unlikely to affect India's decision to station a permanent military base there. The horrifying tragedy of Pakistani soldiers who got buried under an avalanche in Siachen is very much unlikely to affect India's decision to station a permanent military base there.

New Delhi is still considering to try and check if there is any room for flexibility on the matter. It costs millions of dollars to station troops in the worlds highest battlefield and New Delhi is not short of funds at all.

Last week an avalanche destroyed a Pakistani army camp in the Gayari sector highlighting the enormous difficulties faced by the two armies in sustaining thousands of troops.

Pakistan is clearly paying a heavy price to maintain their troops at that altitude with the loss of hundreds of lives and spending millions of dollars at a time when their economy is in the worst state since they gained independence.

It is to be noted that Pakistan has no presence in the Siachen glacier as it's troops are stationed on the other side of the Saltoro Ridge. India is not and should not withdraw it's troops from the ridge until Pakistan guarantees to authenticate the Actual Ground Position Line on the map as well as on the ground. Pakistan is not willing to give such a guarantee and so it is very hard for India to believe anything that Pakistan says about Siachen.

Pakistan is in a much weaker position to soften it's stand on the Siachen issue and might even be willing to authenticate the position of the troops as they exist today. The Indian troops are holding much higher ground and dominating positions in the region since 1984.

Obviously

Indeed, India should try to move ahead in GB. Weather is suitable and Pak is weak.

There is no question..

If we vacate and the Pak Army takes it over stealthily, then there is no hope in hell to re-capture the same.

It takes 21 days to acclimatise to reach those heights and be operationally fit to fight a battle.

None can just jump in (even by air drop) and be operationally fit to fight a battle. Rarefied atmosphere and High Altitude effect!

Kunal, can you get your mates and others to mobilize opinion to take an aggressive posture to negotiate wrt GB? We really need to mobilize opinion so that
1) govt does not sell out
2) we get back strategic land.

It has to be a national effort among people like us here to make sure our strategic objectives are achieved.

Is it really possible? Yusuf ... Do we have any say where it really matters, and if so yes than I am delighted to hear that this forum and its members have such an effect!!!

There is no requirement to mobilise any opinion since the army will be quite clear about the same.

Last time MMS had said that it would be done, it could not be done, because the MO Dte was categorical and informed the Govt of the pros and cons.

These are all photo op stuff just to show there was 'great dialogue' even during Zardari's religious tourism!

All drama!

Sir, I am more concerned about a sell out in Kashmir. MMS trying to find legacy. It cannot be at the expense of that vital link. Regardless of terrain or hostile people. Balwaristan is on the boil and looking for Indian help. We cannot compromise.

We have not lost a Soldier in 8 years over there, (touch wood), as far as we are concerned, that millions of dollars are worth it

That is not true.

Sure the casualties have gone down exponentially but some were indeed martyred.

It is true mate. I posted it with link the other day. It's somewhere here in some thread

not true we are losing soldier regularly.. recently here was avalanche in our side we lost around 35 SOLDIERS

Over 8,000 Indo-Pak soldiers killed in Siachen

Over 8,000 Indo-Pak soldiers killed in Siachen - thenews.com.pk


P.S.: Not sure, This is fact or not because news is from paki site.

Dont post Pakistan news link..

Kashmir's Siachen glacier a frigid outpost in India-Pakistan conflict

Kashmir's Siachen glacier a frigid outpost in India-Pakistan conflict - World - CBC News


Siachen standoff taking heavy environmental toll