The snout of the Siachen Glacier
It may seem unfair to have a war zone like the Siachen Glacier in Ladakh. Both Pakistan and India spend hundreds of millions dollars every year and lose any number of lives facing off for what may seem like an inconsequential mass of ice. But then who said conflicts are about fairness and being reasonable?
When a place is as well known as Siachen, especially for reasons of war, you approach it with mixed expectations. How does a zone always in a state of battle preparedness look like? What is the body language and state of mind of soldiers in these situations? What do they make of civilians out on a ‘picnic,’ even if they are guests of a senior colleague?
Under normal circumstances, one is not allowed within about fifty kilometers of this area unless you have Army clearance. The region had seen little or no exchange of fire over the past couple of years – I may not have been able to make a visit had it been otherwise.
My car stuck in the sand
My SUV met with a little casualty though as I negotiated the sandy area to get close to the glacier – it got stuck in the sand. An Army vehicle had to be called in to pull it out, but not before my brakes went into free play. Fortunately the mechanics were able to fix it, or I would have been in big trouble to get my car back to Leh in this condition to a workshop. A little later in the afternoon, the sole of my old running shoes came off and I had an embarrassing time dragging my foot around over lunch in the Mess.
A sign indicating the original position of the snout
When I did get to the glacier, it seemed a bit of an anti-climax. For one, the snout (where it begins) looked like made of black ice and not white – it was moraine, created by an accumulation of soil and rock with the ice. And there was not much one could see of the glacier: it turned away behind the mountain slopes where another 70 kilometer of its length lies. A river originating at the snout has its water dark grey in colour, and was merrily taking ice boulders in its flow. Global warming is causing the glacier to recede, and signs show where the snout had once been – it has already gone back a kilometer.
Soldiers are posted on the glacier at altitudes of around 12,000 feet at the snout going up to nearly 19,000 feet. They are sent up for 90 days at a time. Supplies are sent to them by helicopter at a cost of Rs. 70,000 ($1,400) for a load of 6o kilos. In other words, rice costing Rs. 70 a kilo costs nearly Rs. 1,000 a kilo to deliver – when it is dropped at the right place. Deaths and frostbites are common in the conditions on the glacier – but fortunately, no one had lost a limb in the last nearly three years from the time I visited.
Talking about flying costs, when troops have to be transported by air it costs an Army plane Rs. 18,00,000 to Delhi from Ladakh. But the Army often charters private planes who do it for only Rs. 7,00,000.
The other much awaited sight was that of the infamous Bofors gun at the base camp. It shot to fame way in the 1980s not for winning any wars, but for bringing down the Rajiv Gandhi government when he was accused of taking commissions from its Swedish manufacturers. It seemed a simple contraption, but the Army swears by its effectiveness, politics apart.
Talking of politics, I met an Army officer on another occasion who could not help abusing the President of India, Pratibha Patil. Although the President holds no real powers constitutionally unless faced with exceptional circumstances, this extends to being the Supreme Commander of all defence forces in India. Few knew of the existence of this political lightweight till the Congress led Government decided to ‘discover’ her and elect her to this position. The country was shocked at this choice, especially since the outgoing President was no less a personality than Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. This officer I was talking to could not conceal his disgust as having to salute this President.
My visit also coincided with the farewell party of the outgoing Commanding Officer of Siachen. It took place in the Officers Mess, located in a bunker below ground level. As long as the guns were silent, the mood was a happy one. It got enlivened further as the officers got a chance to meet the fairer sex: some of our group invited to Siachen were ladies. The incoming CO could not help remarking that it is a rare occasion for them to see any women – especially beautiful ones – at this all boys club. Everyone raised a toast to this comment.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Its intersting to read the articles on Siachen.The area is being now slowly opened and lot of intersting articles coming out.The articles make me go back to 1998(a year before kargil war) when i visited Siachen courtesy my cousin who was the deputy commander of the brigade which controls the siachen glacier and the forward areas bordering POK(Line of actual control).Infact I visited the last village named Thang on the indian side . While visiting the place one could see the Bofors Guns stationed at crucial points.We could see the pakistani soldiers coming ut of their bunkers to watch ladies and children visiting (the line of actal control).I stayed for about a month at the brigade hqs where my cousin was posted.My Bhabi and nephew was on visit during the summer so were wives and children of the other officers as well.Similar was the case in the near by IAF base.To break the boredom of the summer visitors the army adventure sports division had arranged for paragliding/parasailing for ladies and children as well.
From the top of the Khardungla –you can see the Zanskar range on the south and Karakoram range in the north.
The fact that after you start decending from from Khardungla towards Khalsar–the view is awesome.The Nubra river meets the Shyok river and both the valley–Shyok and Nubra merges it self.Khalsar can be said the trijunction of the ladakh range,saltoro range and the karakoram range if I am not mistaken.The more you go north –Deskit and Hundar–you would see snow clad mountain,sand dunes bactrian camels all within the valley witdth of just 3-5 kms.The Deskit monastry is also a place to be visited where buddhism is merged with tantricism.Panamik in the nubra valley is also place where hot sulphur spring is situated.There is a wishing point near by.
However since it was an operational area–life was not smooth.An young officer was killed in the glacier –the sharpnel from the enemy shelling hitting the officer inside the bunker.The news came when a party for the visiting family members of the Army and Airforce was going on.I was a witness to the coffin being handed and transported to Srinagar for onward flight to Kolkata.
The people of those forward areas were and are helped by the army.Army school for the village children has opened.The young children used to greet us with word”Julley”.Their farming is restricted for few months and they grow millets.Infact army and airforce settlements are the source of growth of the local economy.Later (after kargil war) from the newspaper I came to know Lt Gen Arjun Ray,then
GOC-In -C of Northern Command had started a project to help the local communities so that they have additional source of income and become more army friendly.I had the experience of sleeping in sleeping bag used by the army on the glacier.
There are stories of dogs who used to be the peon carrying mail between outpost in Siachen.I would request Ajay Jain if he can pickup some stories since I have heard them during my visit but i cant recall the names of the dogs.These dogs were locals.
Enjoyed the report. The glacier does seem disappointing from the pictures. You could not go any further?
How does one get permits to go to these areas?
Gr8 way to entertain the soldiers i suppose, i hope they allow tourists to visit this place in future of course under certain guidelines.