Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'To vacate Siachen or not?' that was published in Newsband

To vacate Siachen or not?

The February 3 avalanche on the Siachen glacier buried 10 Indian Army soldiers. Last month, four soldiers of 3 Ladakh Scouts were killed when an avalanche hit a patrol party in the Ladakh region. Avalanches are a threat not just to Indian soldiers, but also to the Pakistani troops. In April 2012, in the Gayari sector, 129 soldiers of the 6th Northern Light Infantry of the Pakistani military and 11 civilian contractors were buried by a massive avalanche. According to reliable estimates, over 2,000 soldiers from both sides have died on the Siachen glacier since 1984.

Is there a need to demilitarise the glacier? Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal initiative to visit Lahore on Christmas day and to push forward peace with Pakistan should be appreciated. Also there are many people who feel that both India and Pakistan neither can sacrifice nor put in harm’s way, so many lives on the inhospitable glacier.

If, for the reason that Siachen has no strategic or tactical importance, we vacate, Pakistan can be expected to move in and it will then become an issue of retaking it which will be at a greater cost. Siachen is the proverbial hot ghee - we can neither swallow nor spit. This glacier is not pride but strategic. Can anyone say with confidence that Pakistan will not occupy if India vacates

No one can say with confidence what Pakistan will or will not do. Should then India stay in a state of persistent belligerence with Pakistan? Or should India, when the opportunity presents itself, take steps to mutually cooperate with Pakistan so that the loss of lives of our soldiers can be restricted if not entirely halted?

In matters of national security, neither expenditure nor casualties matter. We have to understand the strategic importance of post. There is no substitute for a physical post - not even electronic surveillance. History repeats itself. When we call back our troops we have to again conquer the same region and it costs a lot more than what we spend to protect the same

Two countries, China and Pakistan, who are always on the lookout for opportunities to grab our border lands and spread terror over there, will never give up their malicious intentions no matter how wisely one tries to change them and their attitudes. Unilateral, bilateral or multi global lateral efforts to put a dent over their militarization mania will never work. The only thing that we can do is not weaken our defending power but keep on strengthening it.