Resolve Siachen, demilitarise region

The death of six people, including four jawans and two civilian porters, in an avalanche that hit an army post on the Siachen glacier, underscores not only the dire conditions under which the armed forces work to protect our borders but also the high human costs of military deployment in the Siachen region. Rescue operations were launched immediately and eight people were found buried under the snow. Although they were shifted swiftly to the nearest military hospital, six of the eight succumbed to injuries and hypothermia, while two others are battling for their lives. Avalanches are routine in the Siachen region. In February this year, 10 jawans were trapped under 35 feet of snow when an ice wall crashed on them. Three years ago, 10 jawans were killed in the region. Pakistan, too, has lost many lives to natural disasters in the region. In 2012, an avalanche buried its army base in Gyari, killing 129 soldiers and 11 civilian contractors.

India and Pakistan have lost thousands of soldiers in this region since 1984 when they began deploying in Siachen and while hundreds have died in the exchange of fire between the two armies, it is Siachen’s dangerous terrain, altitude and hostile weather conditions that have proved far more deadly. This glacier lies at an average altitude of 17,000 ft. Not only is it dizzyingly cold at this height but also, at this altitude oxygen is rare. Soldiers stationed there for even a few weeks suffer frostbite, haemorrhages, hallucinations, pulmonary and cerebral oedemas. Several soldiers do not survive a stint there. In addition to the human costs are the financial and material costs of keeping our troops at Siachen.

These high costs are bleeding both India and Pakistan. The two sides can avoid this haemorrhaging if they made a pact and demilitarized the glacier. Fortunately, this is not a dispute that is hard to settle. Indeed, the two sides were on the brink of settling it in 1989 but didn’t as leaders in both countries developed cold feet at the last minute. Officials on both sides have revealed that a settlement on Siachen was within reach at several points of the composite dialogue progress. Unfortunately, the two governments failed to grab opportunities for settling the dispute. It is time that the two sides worked towards jointly demarcating the Actual Ground Position Line on the ground and in maps, have it internationally authenticated and put in place steps for joint verification and monitoring. This could pave the way for the demilitarization of the region. A ‘peace park’ in the region could be a worthy goal.