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| Former Army Generals oppose demilitarization of Siachen | | Walking Into Pakistani Trap | | Neha
Jammu, May 5: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Army chief Pervez Ashfaq Kayani, former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, to mention only a few, have urged New Delhi to demilitarize the strategic Siachen glacier region, which is under the control of the Indian Army since 1984, saying this is doable. They have, in addition, opined that the demilitarization of Siachen glacier would go a long way in tackling the Kashmir tangle and harmonizing India-Pakistan relations. This is a dangerous trap Pakistan wants India to walk into so that Islamabad is able to play nefarious games in the region and advance its interests.
Sadly, the response of the Government of India to the Pakistani ill-designed suggestion is quite positive. Defence Minister AK Antony has announced on the floor of the Lok Sabha that the Government of India is willing to hold "meaningful and result-oriented discussions with Pakistan on the Siachen glacier region". He said so only five days ago, April 30. What Antony said is understandable. After all, he belongs to that school of thought which doesn't consider Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India. Equally disappointing has been the role of the so-called main opposition party, BJP. It is not an independent formation; it is an extension of the Congress. It now appears. It has not said a single word against what Antony told the Lok Sabha.
However, what has been inspiring is the response the Pakistani suggestion with regard to Siachen and the positive attitude of the Congress-dominated UPA Government to this Pakistani suggestion has evoked from some distinguished former Army Generals, including Generals Vijay Oberai and SK Sinha. Rejecting outrightly the Pakistani suggestion, former Vice-Chief of Army Lt General Oberai has, inter-alia, said: "The Pakistan army's last audacious attempt to dislodge us from Siachen was made in 1999, when they captured Kargil and surrounding areas with the aim of cutting off our supply routes to Ladakh and secure Siachen by this indirect stratagem. However, the bravery and courage of our troops saved the day. Another pertinent fact that must not be lost sight of is that in 1963, Pakistan had unilaterally and illegally conceded the Shaksgam area, north of Siachen, to China. Since early April, following a major avalanche in the area occupied by the Pakistani Army (on April 7), an orchestrated attempt is being made to bring the issue back in focus. The important myths and realities are discussed below".
"First, the contention that Siachen and Saltoro have no strategic value is wrong. If Saltoro had not been occupied by our troops, Pakistan from the west and China from the east would have long since linked up, with the strategic Karakoram Pass under their complete control. The illegal ceding away of the Shaksgam Valley by Pakistan to China has completed the encirclement of this crucial area. It is only our occupation of Saltoro that has driven a wedge between the two. By controlling Saltoro, we have also retained the option of negotiating with China over Shaksgam valley at the appropriate time. Second, the Pakistani stance that since India is the aggressor, it should vacate the area, is a travesty of truth, as what our troops did in April 1984 was to occupy our own areas; no border or line was crossed as the entire area, not having been delineated, belongs to India. Third, it is stated that unnecessary casualties are being incurred on account of the treacherous terrain and climate. This is no longer the case with us, as the Indian Army has learnt its lessons. Fourth, an additional reason stated is that Rs 5 crore is being spent every day on our troops there. While the figure may be disputed, should sovereignty be measured in this manner?"
The concrete suggestion of Lt General Oberai reads like this: "The most important point we have to keep in mind is that while it suits Pakistan to get our troops to vacate the commanding heights of the Saltoro Ridge, we would lose them permanently if we do so, as regaining them would be militarily extremely difficult. Despite this, if there is a compulsion to resolve the issue, then the first action must be to delineate the AGPL, before any shifting of troops takes place. Pakistan has so far refused to accept this, perhaps with an ulterior motive of occupying it at some future date!"
As for General Sinha, he has, among other things, said: "As an old soldier who served at high altitudes for years, having seen closely how devastating avalanches can be, I fully sympathize with the families of the unfortunate 138 Pakistan soldiers who perished in the recent avalanche in Siachen. I am sure that Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the taciturn Army Chief of Pakistan, must have felt overwhelmed during his visit to Siachen. For the first time he spoke the language of peace. This is welcome, but we should not get carried away by the mere expression of desire. Pious intentions mean little unless matched by concrete and credible proposals. Although our positions on the Saltoro Ridge are impregnable, (yet) Pakistan has the advantage of better communication from the plains. Its forces can trek to Saltoro in a week, while we will take three weeks. If Pakistan does a Kargil there, it will be totally impossible to evict Pakistan. In the circumstances, a step-by-step approach to peace in Kashmir with Siachen as the first step can be suicidal. Demilitarization of Siachen should only be a part of the complete peace arrangement in Kashmir". General Sinha is a former Vice-Chief of Army as well as former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and Assam.
Will those dealing with the defence of the country take into consideration the sane counsels, coupled with unambiguous warnings, before accepting the Pakistani suggestion? They must. At the same time, it is hoped that our serving Army commanders would put their foot down and not allow the South Block to withdraw our troops from Siachen glacier region. This hope stems from the statement Lt Gen Hasnain made yesterday in Kashmir that no Army post would be removed from any place in the Kashmir valley. |
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