Guarding the frontier

Salutes to the valiant soldiers of Indian Army, commanders and planners, who in 1984 thwarted the designs of Pakistanis to establish foothold on the crucially strategic Siachin Glacier, 17,000 feet above sea level with temperature going down minus 50 degrees Celsius. From this strategic outpost on our northern frontier, our brave soldiers are keeping a vigil on the movement of two of our adversaries, China and Pakistan, who, working in tandem, are out to destabilize our security arrangement along the long border line. Frontier security concerns had prompted the policy planners at Defence Ministry and Army Headquarters to lift the commandos in a cover operation in 1984 and establish strong foothold on the top of the Siachin Glacier overlooking vast tracts of Nyoma Valley and beyond where Chinese are making regular movements of men and material. This is the world's highest defence post in most hostile and harshest of climatic conditions. Ever since 1984, our country has been making enormous sacrifices in terms of men, material and money, to defend the interests of the country. Those who sometimes criticize our army just because they are of myopic vision would better pay a visit to the area once in their lives and then understand in what difficult conditions our army Jawans are maintaining vigil on the outpost.

What physical difficulties they are braving, is beyond their comprehension. When George Fernandez was the Defence Minister, he had decided to lift the top officials of the Defence Ministry in small groups to Siachin and make them stay there one night so that they understand what it means to defend the country's frontiers. He had said this with reference to the officialdom and the red-tape business of officials log of Defence Ministry who are used to "eating up the files and projects" vital to the defence of the country.

For last two decades, Pakistan desired rather insisted on special dialogue on Siachin and its demilitarization. She has been asking for exclusive talks on Siachin and delinking it from entire Kashmir issue. She knows the strategic gains that would accrue to her if Indian agrees to a draw down from Siachin under one formula or the other. But thanks to our patriotic army and our visionary army commanders who flatly refused to have any talks on demilitarization of Siachin according to what Pakistan wishes. Pakistan is prepared to undertake demilitarization of Siachin and assure that her troops would not violate the agreement according to which both countries would pull back their troops from the strategic frontier post. But Pakistani political and military set up is not anything new to our Army Commanders. They know that treachery and perfidy are the hall mark of Pakistani army. Therefore they put their foot down and refused to pull back from Siachin. This speaks for the morale of our Army, the finest in the world in terms of discipline. Let us not, therefore, demoralize our army as we did in the case of Hajji Pir in 1962 and we are facing the problem in Uri sector. Our Army will not make a second mistake of submitting to the intransigent and unrealistic decisions of politicians. Union Minister for Defence, Jatinder Singh was on an official visit to the Siachin. He made an aerial survey of the entire region and he interacted with the Jawans and officers at the base camp. His visit carries the message for the Jawans, the nation and our adversaries. The message is simple; India means to protect her frontier posts at all costs and there is no question of demilitarization of the sector to please the adversary.

There are misguided and perverted elements within the country who cry foul on our losses in maintaining vigil atop Siachin. Yes, losses we do suffer no doubt, but that is the cost the nation has to pay for protecting its territorial integrity and national sovereignty. The Army is paying the cost; the Jawans are paying the cost. They sacrifice their lives, their comfort and their families' peace of mind so that our civilian administrators stay put comfortably in their air conditioned offices to decide the fate of the nation. We would appreciate if more senior as well as junior functionaries in the Defence Ministry and even the MPs from the Parliament intermittently visit Siachin to develop personal liaison with the forces there, it would be highly beneficial for the defence interests of the country.

 

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Courtesy:  The Daily Excelsior: 22nd February, 2014