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[THREAD] Myth: Siachen, UPA's Gift
RW has a new claim today:
that INC/UPA under MMS was ready to surrender Siachen to Pakistan.
The tone implies anti-national behaviour from INC.
In this thread, let us explore the context and facts to set the claim right.
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RW has a new claim today:
that INC/UPA under MMS was ready to surrender Siachen to Pakistan.
The tone implies anti-national behaviour from INC.
In this thread, let us explore the context and facts to set the claim right.
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The Cloud Messenger
Most of us know about Siachen; the highest battlefield in the world, sub-zero climate conditions and importance as a strategic point to hold.
Also that the area has been claimed by India and Pakistan since independence.
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Most of us know about Siachen; the highest battlefield in the world, sub-zero climate conditions and importance as a strategic point to hold.
Also that the area has been claimed by India and Pakistan since independence.
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But for a long time there was no military conflict there.
That changed in the 70s when Pak started military mountaineering expeditions in the glacier and then India did the same to counter it. That went on till 1980s.
But then something crazy happened.
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That changed in the 70s when Pak started military mountaineering expeditions in the glacier and then India did the same to counter it. That went on till 1980s.
But then something crazy happened.
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In early 80s Pak ordered military gear to use in the glacier's weather conditions from a supplier in London.
The supplier was also supplier to Indian Army.
RAW got the tip and realised that Pak is trying to put military there.
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The supplier was also supplier to Indian Army.
RAW got the tip and realised that Pak is trying to put military there.
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RAW accelerated Indian Army's movement and thus India captured Siachen Glacier on April 13th, 1984.
This amazing feat came to be known as Operation Meghdoot.
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This amazing feat came to be known as Operation Meghdoot.
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The Cost:
Indian army has held the position of advantage in Siachen since then. But it comes at a serious price.
India has lost more than 800 soldiers in Siachen to climatic conditions.
For Pakistan, that figure stands at 2000.
(visual credit @EconomicTimes )
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Indian army has held the position of advantage in Siachen since then. But it comes at a serious price.
India has lost more than 800 soldiers in Siachen to climatic conditions.
For Pakistan, that figure stands at 2000.
(visual credit @EconomicTimes )
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There is also huge amount of money involved. However, in the big picture, the money is not a huge slice of India's military expenditure.
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https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/siachen-all-you-should-know-about-the-worlds-costliest-battlefield/articleshow/72142137.cms#:~:text=What's%20the%20cost%20of%20staying,and%20mountaineering%20equipment%20for%20soldiers.
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https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/siachen-all-you-should-know-about-the-worlds-costliest-battlefield/articleshow/72142137.cms#:~:text=What's%20the%20cost%20of%20staying,and%20mountaineering%20equipment%20for%20soldiers.
Mountain of Peace:
Seeing the high cost of human lives and money involved, both India and Pak have time and again played with the idea to demilitarize the glacier.
Now this is important,
Demilitarize is not "surrender".
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Seeing the high cost of human lives and money involved, both India and Pak have time and again played with the idea to demilitarize the glacier.
Now this is important,
Demilitarize is not "surrender".
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It only means that all parties will remove military personnel, equipment and infra from an area. A good example of a Demilitarized Zone(DMZ) is the Korean border
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demilitarized_zone#Current_demilitarized_zones
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demilitarized_zone#Current_demilitarized_zones
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The first talk was in 1989, when both countries got very close to sign an agreement, but eventually didn't do it.
The second happened under Rao, but again didn't pull through.
The reasons of failures are always complex but rooted in deep distrust between the countries.
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The second happened under Rao, but again didn't pull through.
The reasons of failures are always complex but rooted in deep distrust between the countries.
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Remember Operation Meghdoot?
Pakistan sees the loss of Siachen as deeply humiliating and has made multiple attempts to capture the positions. So India finds it hard to trust Pak on honoring the agreement.
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Pakistan sees the loss of Siachen as deeply humiliating and has made multiple attempts to capture the positions. So India finds it hard to trust Pak on honoring the agreement.
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Then there is a reality that if Pak breaks the DMZ agreement and captures Siachen, recapturing it will costs even more lives.
The fact that the area is barren but still fought so hard for has always split the political opinion into a choice between peace and reality.
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The fact that the area is barren but still fought so hard for has always split the political opinion into a choice between peace and reality.
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Before we go to MMS, let us pause for a moment and recap
- Siachen is important but we loose too many lives
- A section thinks Siachen as DMZ will be much better for the region and both the countries.
- A section doesn't trust Pakistan to honor the DMZ agreement.
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- Siachen is important but we loose too many lives
- A section thinks Siachen as DMZ will be much better for the region and both the countries.
- A section doesn't trust Pakistan to honor the DMZ agreement.
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So this is the stage for MMS.
- His predecessors have attempted DMZ talks, even started a bus service to symbolise normality but failed.
- There is a ceasefire since 2003, so no bullets fired but we are still losing soldiers to accidents.
So what does he do?
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- His predecessors have attempted DMZ talks, even started a bus service to symbolise normality but failed.
- There is a ceasefire since 2003, so no bullets fired but we are still losing soldiers to accidents.
So what does he do?
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He visits Siachen.
and becomes the first Indian Prime Minister to do so.
The first.
It is this visit where he will coin the term Mountain of Peace, as an aspiration.
And when he is back in Delhi, he reopens the discussions around DMZ for the third time.
[image from BBC]
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](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbZfnl0XkAI6NKZ.jpg "He visits Siachen.and becomes the first Indian Prime Minister to do so.The first.It is this visit where he will coin the term Mountain of Peace, as an aspiration.And when he is back in Delhi, he reopens the discussions around DMZ for the third time.[image from BBC](15/32)")
and becomes the first Indian Prime Minister to do so.
The first.
It is this visit where he will coin the term Mountain of Peace, as an aspiration.
And when he is back in Delhi, he reopens the discussions around DMZ for the third time.
[image from BBC]
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The Pulse:
If you were to read about this today from Times Now/OpIndia, you would feel that MMS/INC were alone in supporting the DMZ and everyone else was against them. There is a sinister tone that suggests that all this happened in secrecy.
But it is far from truth
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If you were to read about this today from Times Now/OpIndia, you would feel that MMS/INC were alone in supporting the DMZ and everyone else was against them. There is a sinister tone that suggests that all this happened in secrecy.
But it is far from truth
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There is also a Wikileak cable about the issue.
Media houses often quote the cable partially to show this as corruption or anti-national activity.
Even having "wikileak" in title is enough to create a sense of conspiracy.
But the issue was out for public debate.
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Media houses often quote the cable partially to show this as corruption or anti-national activity.
Even having "wikileak" in title is enough to create a sense of conspiracy.
But the issue was out for public debate.
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Notice the gentleman talking to Arnab? He is General Singh. He was the Chief of Army Staff during the third DMZ talks. He made multiple public appearances at that time to speak against the DMZ agreement. He initially opposed the idea.
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According to wikileaks, there are 2 theories to explain Gen Singh's public opposition:
1. He knew the public was on his side and thus could openly speak.
Or
2. was opposing this with MMS's will. It was to use that as a bargaining chip in talks with Pakistan
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1. He knew the public was on his side and thus could openly speak.
Or
2. was opposing this with MMS's will. It was to use that as a bargaining chip in talks with Pakistan
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Also not every armyman was against the deal.
There were senior Army folks who argued that the modern technology ensures a better monitoring of the area, thus tracking Pak's misadventures if any.
They believed that the conflict was not worth losing soldiers to climate.
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There were senior Army folks who argued that the modern technology ensures a better monitoring of the area, thus tracking Pak's misadventures if any.
They believed that the conflict was not worth losing soldiers to climate.
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One of the key supporters was Lt. Gen. (ret) ML Chibber who was responsible for India capturing the upper ridge in 1986 Siachen conflict.
But apart from Army, what was the political pulse?
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But apart from Army, what was the political pulse?
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BJP:
BJP's opposition according to Wikileaks was conditional. They were ok to support based on 4 conditions they had put.
The cable also talks about the fact that BJP would have exploited the "subjective" nature of conditions to win political discourse anyways.
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BJP's opposition according to Wikileaks was conditional. They were ok to support based on 4 conditions they had put.
The cable also talks about the fact that BJP would have exploited the "subjective" nature of conditions to win political discourse anyways.
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But the most important part is that the cable suggests that BJP would spin any form of deal as "Congress gave to Musharraf that which he could not take from us by force or by
stealth."
This is exactly what is happening today.
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stealth."
This is exactly what is happening today.
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Apart from opposition, all parties supported the talks to figure out the deal.
Another important bit is the NSA, MK Narayanan. He was previously a back channel diplomat from India.
Wikileaks suggest that he was one of the key opposers of the idea
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Another important bit is the NSA, MK Narayanan. He was previously a back channel diplomat from India.
Wikileaks suggest that he was one of the key opposers of the idea
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He argues that he did oppose, but he was not the only one to halt the deal.
https://theprint.in/defence/pranab-mukherjee-made-impassioned-plea-on-siachen-shyam-saran-unfair-in-book-mk-narayanan/21008/
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https://theprint.in/defence/pranab-mukherjee-made-impassioned-plea-on-siachen-shyam-saran-unfair-in-book-mk-narayanan/21008/
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So at this point, the top level board that was deciding on having the talks had a few supporters and a few opposers.
Can you guess what would have happened next?
But before that, a quick summary of Wikileaks, which in a way recaps the whole event till now.
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Can you guess what would have happened next?
But before that, a quick summary of Wikileaks, which in a way recaps the whole event till now.
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Wikileaks:
Sometime back the cable related to this issue was leaked and it has been misquoted very often by press to present a case that shows MMS in poor light. But if you go through it it very well summarises the whole issue like this:
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Sometime back the cable related to this issue was leaked and it has been misquoted very often by press to present a case that shows MMS in poor light. But if you go through it it very well summarises the whole issue like this:
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1- MMS wants to have a talk to figure out DMZ deal
2- Army, NSA and few more leaders believe deal is not feasible.
3- All his allies support him
4- BJP has conditions before supporting but they are percived as a trick
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2- Army, NSA and few more leaders believe deal is not feasible.
3- All his allies support him
4- BJP has conditions before supporting but they are percived as a trick
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And, most important.. they are only talking about starting the discussions. There is no deal in the picture yet.
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Fate:
Eventually in the final discussions between top political and security circles, India decided to not pursue it. It was a major political risk and a major security risk.
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Eventually in the final discussions between top political and security circles, India decided to not pursue it. It was a major political risk and a major security risk.
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In 2019, when India lost 10 soldiers to an avalanche in Siachen, a section of society again started pursuing the gov to look into it. But this still seems like a glacial dream.
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So here it is.
A complex but normal political and diplomatic event, with enough points to support and oppose.
Nothing anti-national, anti-army, sinister.
Not even a deal.
Only a glacial dream.
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A complex but normal political and diplomatic event, with enough points to support and oppose.
Nothing anti-national, anti-army, sinister.
Not even a deal.
Only a glacial dream.
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