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Siachen: Conflict without end
Comprehensive assessment of strategic importance of Siachen glacier leads to conflict between Indian and Pakistan.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
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December 1, 2007
The moment the word 'Siachen glacier' is mentioned, most people who know the context usually have an image of this glacier as embodying the stupidity of man as they are reminded of the Indian and Pakistani forces fighting each other at more than 21000 feet altitude for nearly twenty years at a heavy cost of man and material. Lt,Gen Raghavan of the Indian army, who served in Siachen for some years, has written this book to put the hard facts on paper and show why it is of strategic importance to the security of India and also as to why Pakistan and China together in the mid 1980's tried to occupy the Siachen glacier.
Contrary to popular beliefs in these days of high-tech weapons, Raghavan shows that in such high altitudes in the Karakoram, in spite of all technology, it is of utmost importance to occupy the heights in the mountains if you want to prevail. That is exactly what Pakistan tried to do in the early 1980's in order to get a crucial advantage in its conflict with India over Kashmir. And that is exactly the same reason why India hastened to occupy the heights and deny this strategic advantage to Pakistan. This is what makes an expert on the subject like Michael Krepon to remark that it is a 'conflict too painful to continue and too meaningful to end'. Though the conflict bleeds India to the tune of 3 crores of rupees a day, Raghavan shows why India needs to have guarantees to hold on to its positions in the heights as part of the settlement to withdraw troops.
There are accounts of the stunning bravery of Indian soldiers led by Subedar Bana Singh in capturing the heights from Pak soldiers by approaching vertical cliffs in minus 50 degrees celsius at over 20000 feet. He also shows how western journalists like Eric Margolis glibly write about 'being on the Siachen' when they are taken 'there' by the Pak establishment. The fact of the matter is that India is full control of the heights leading to Siachen and the Pakistani forces are some 1500 feet below, from where one cannot even see the glacier!
I also used to think of it as the madness of the two establishments. But after reading the book, one realises that the whole events leading to the war on Siachen and its continued conflict seem quite rational and understandable.
The book is a must read for one interested in the history of India-Pakistan conflicts and the origins and the politico-military factors that have prolonged this brutal war for twenty years.
The tone of the book is rational, balanced and without jingoism. A very readable book
Contrary to popular beliefs in these days of high-tech weapons, Raghavan shows that in such high altitudes in the Karakoram, in spite of all technology, it is of utmost importance to occupy the heights in the mountains if you want to prevail. That is exactly what Pakistan tried to do in the early 1980's in order to get a crucial advantage in its conflict with India over Kashmir. And that is exactly the same reason why India hastened to occupy the heights and deny this strategic advantage to Pakistan. This is what makes an expert on the subject like Michael Krepon to remark that it is a 'conflict too painful to continue and too meaningful to end'. Though the conflict bleeds India to the tune of 3 crores of rupees a day, Raghavan shows why India needs to have guarantees to hold on to its positions in the heights as part of the settlement to withdraw troops.
There are accounts of the stunning bravery of Indian soldiers led by Subedar Bana Singh in capturing the heights from Pak soldiers by approaching vertical cliffs in minus 50 degrees celsius at over 20000 feet. He also shows how western journalists like Eric Margolis glibly write about 'being on the Siachen' when they are taken 'there' by the Pak establishment. The fact of the matter is that India is full control of the heights leading to Siachen and the Pakistani forces are some 1500 feet below, from where one cannot even see the glacier!
I also used to think of it as the madness of the two establishments. But after reading the book, one realises that the whole events leading to the war on Siachen and its continued conflict seem quite rational and understandable.
The book is a must read for one interested in the history of India-Pakistan conflicts and the origins and the politico-military factors that have prolonged this brutal war for twenty years.
The tone of the book is rational, balanced and without jingoism. A very readable book
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