By Arun Rajnath
NEW DELHI, May 25: India may consider demilitarization of the Siachin Zone in a phased manner, a top official of the Indian Ministry of Defense told the South Asia Tribune on the eve of India-Pakistan talks beginning in Islamabad today.
As the Indian defense delegation headed for Islamabad for the talks, Defense Ministry sources in Delhi said India is not averse to the idea of the complete and total demilitarization of the region, but it could be done in a phased manner. The talks that are going to take place in Islamabad is an initial phase, and nothing could be finally said about it.
“The final decision would be arrived at after talking to the army personnel of India who strategically know better about the problem. But one thing should be clear that India will not compromise with the security of the region and whatever will be done, will be done accordingly,” sources added.
(According to Reuters, Niaz Naik, a retired Pakistani diplomat involved in the back-door diplomacy, said there are hopeful signs of progress.
Pakistan Defense Secretary Lt. Gen. Tariq Wasim Ghazi will lead the Pakistani side and Indian civil service officer Defense Secretary Ajai Vikram Singh will lead the Indian team. The talks will focus on Siachin on May 26-27. On May 28-29 they will address a dispute over the Sir Creek estuary, a marshland in the Rann of Kutch, between India’s western state of Gujarat and Pakistan’s southern Sindh province.)
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Jalil Abbas Jilani said recently that Pakistan wants implementation of the Indo-Pak agreement of 1989 on Siachin underlining total withdrawal of troops by the two countries from the ‘no man’s land’ region to the pre-Simla Accord of 1972, signed by the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pak Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
The agreement of 1989 was arrived at during talks between Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto. After Defense Secretary level talks a joint statement was also issued which read as follows:
“There was an agreement by both sides to work towards the comprehensive settlement based on re-deployment of forces to reduce the chances of conflict, avoidance of the use of force and the determination of future positions on the ground so as to conform with the Simla Agreement. The army authorities will determine these positions.”
Siachin zone is one of the most inhospitable and dangerous regions of the world. The Siachin glacier is about 76 kilometers long and 2-8 kilometers wide. It receives 6 to 7 meters of snow in winter alone. Blizzards can reach speeds of up to 150 knots (nearly 300 km per hour). The temperature routinely drops to 40 degrees Celsius below zero and even lower with the wind chill factor. For these reasons, the Siachin Glacier has been called the "Third Pole".
According to the Lt. Gen (retd). BS Malik the Base camp for Indian forces is 12,000 feet above sea level. The altitude of some Indian forward bases on the Saltoro Ridge ranges from Kumar (16,000 feet) and Bila Top (18,600 feet) to Pahalwan (20,000 feet) and Indira Col (22,000 feet). The area is also prone to avalanches. These adverse conditions have direct consequences, as only three per cent of the Indian casualties are by enemy fire while remaining 97 percent fall to the altitude, weather and terrain.
Gen. Malik told the South Asia Tribune Pakistan too is not in the advantageous position as their positions are usually at altitudes lower than the Indian ones, ranging between 9,000 and 15,000 feet, although some, such as Conway Saddle (17,200 feet), which controls ingress to the glacier, are much higher. On the other hand, glaciers at the Pakistani frontline begin at 9,440 feet and Pakistani troops are stationed on steep slopes, exposed to harsh weather.
Malik said: “It is necessary for the two countries to de-militarize the whole zone because no country wants to lose its men and money. The tension must be assuaged in the region.”
According to the Hindi official magazine of the Indian Defense Ministry, ‘Sainik Samachar’, the conflict began when in 1984 Pakistan permitted mountaineering expeditions in the area claiming it as its territory. Later, in 1987, Pakistan troops established an advance post, namely Quaid Post on the altitude of 6452 meters on the Saltoro ridge overlooking the Bilafond Pass.
The magazine claims that the Pakistani side initiated the first skirmish on April 18, 1987 after which the eviction of Pakistani troops became essential for India. Later on May 29, 1987 2nd Lt. Rajeev Pandey fell to the bullets from the Quaid Post. Then on June 24, 1987, code-named Operation Rajiv in the honor of 2nd Lt. Rajeev Pandey was launched.
Later, the Indian Army captured the Quaid Post and it was re-named as Bana Post in the memory of Naib Subedar Bana Singh who showed tremendous courage and valor and was awarded the ‘Param Chakra’, India’s highest medal for valor.
Malik says: “Time has come to move forward. President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has already given a proposal for the Siachin and I am happy that Indians have taken it seriously.”
Gen. Malik has been a course mate of Gen. Musharraf when both of them were Brigadiers in their respective armies and went for advanced course to London. (See previous story) He said at that time that the Indian government should consider seriously the proposal made by General Musharraf.
“Today only some Indian bureaucrats are going to Islamabad to hold talks. There should be military-to-military dialogue for the solution of the Siachin dispute as only the Indian Army can talk in military terms with the Pakistani officials. Pakistan Defense Secretary himself is an Army official,” he added.
Gen. Malik says that the demilitarization should be in phases to avoid escalation of tensions. Immediate pull out would cause problems. First peace should be established in the Siachin area. The situation should be reviewed by both sides and then the demilitarization may take place in a phased manner and on the basis of some give and take.”
“There should be a foolproof system that would ensure that no activities could be carried out in this area. The experience tells us that the whole problem started when one country began asserting that a particular area belonged to it and started allowing activities like, permitting foreign mountaineering expeditions. So it should be ensured that none of the side should go for such activities," he added.
When asked by the South Asia Tribune about the give and take, Gen. Malik replied: “You should remember that none of the sides is going to give up what it has already got. It should be done through military-to-military. There are greater chances for agreement through the military-to-military negotiations. Both the armies already have an understanding and this would be an extension to this understanding.”
Gen. Malik says that India should trust Pakistan in this matter and there is less possibility of redeployment of forces by Pakistan after demilitarization because India can keep vigil on the region through satellites and other surveillance equipment. “There must be a kind of a joint monitoring activity to ensure none of two countries is transgressing after withdrawal of forces.”