‘Siachen 1987: Battle for the Frozen Frontier’ is a tale of bravado
Book Title: Siachen 1987: Battle for the Frozen Frontier
Brig HPS Bedi (Retd)
This book, a detailed account of life on Siachen glacier, is dedicated to the Indian soldiers for their extraordinary grit, exemplary courage and exceptional resilience.
Lt Gen Ramesh Kulkarni and his daughter Anjali Karpe, while narrating a personal story, have been successful in presenting the battle situations, the leadership issues and life on the glacier, whether it is fighting the enemy or facing the challenges posed by the extreme weather.
After April 1984, when the Indian Army pre-empted Pakistani army plans and occupied the Saltoro Ridge covering the glacier, the political leadership in Pakistan was always taunting and egging on the military leadership to do something different and reclaim the honour of the Pakistan army. As a consequence, two major operations — Operation Rajiv and Operation Vajr Shakti — were launched by the Indian Army during the author’s tenure as commander of the 28 Infantry Division in Ladakh. Very little was known of these operations and this vivid account reinforces the role of the Indian Army in maintaining national security away from the public and media gaze.
The Pakistan army troops that suffered at the hands of the Indian Army in these operations were led by then Brig Pervez Musharraf. That is why he tried to justify his misadventure in Kargil as army chief.
While so much has been written on the weather conditions, the author has been able to bring home the actual conditions, where the temperature ranges from minus 10 degrees Centigrade in the daytime in summer to below 60 at night. The reader can actually feel the deafening silence, the rarefied air and the absence of any life for miles on end. Such conditions only increase the pressure, physically and psychologically, on the troops and the leaders.
The narration of other aspects, like the preparation before induction, the ground-based logistics support, the role of helicopters, the medical staff, religious beliefs and myths and self-imposed dietary restrictions make for interesting reading. The introduction of the Primus stove highlights how an ordinary device, small modifications and jugaad can change the course of the battle and bring in so much value to the quality of life of soldiers.
Lt Gen Kulkarni has pointed to the dilemmas of commanders who operate in such a dangerous and hazardous environment. As a former Brigade Commander of 102 Infantry Brigade, I related to every account.
The book very clearly brings out the special relationship between the Army and the Air Force. Such bonhomie and going beyond the call of duty by the pilots does not exist anywhere outside of this conflict zone. While the author has gone into great lengths to give details of various operations, the absence of pictures and sketches makes it difficult for the reader without any experience of the terrain to fully comprehend the situation.
I will also recommend this book to civilian readers, especially corporate youngsters, who will find numerous lessons on leadership, team work, logistics management and how to face stress.
A ceasefire prevails from September 2003 onwards. However, in no way does it reduce the importance of the area, more so because the enemy number one, the weather, is still what we have to face. It was only during the Kargil conflict that the war came to the homes of citizens. This account fills the gap.
