President Ram Nath Kovind will be visiting the Siachen base camp on Thursday to meet the soldiers guarding the world’s highest battleground.
Kovind will become the first President of India after APJ Abdul Kalam to visit the battleground where temperatures often plummet to -50 degrees Celsius.
“Looking forward to visiting the Siachen Base Camp and the Kumar Post tomorrow, and interacting with our gallant soldiers,” wrote the President on Twitter.
He also acknowledged the visit of former president Dr Kalam.
“My illustrious predecessor President APJ Abdul Kalam had visited the base camp in 2004,” he said.
Looking forward to visiting the Siachen Base Camp and the Kumar Post tomorrow, and interacting with our gallant soldiers. My illustrious predecessor President APJ Abdul Kalam had visited the base camp in 2004 #PresidentKovind
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 9, 2018
At 76 km, Siachen Glacier is the longest glacier in the Karakoram and second-longest in the world’s non-polar areas.
India gained control of the area through an operation in 1984 after learning of Pakistan’s plans to annex the strategically important region. India’s Operation Meghdoot was launched just a day before Pakistan’s Operation Ababeel which helped in gaining control of the heights on Saltoro Ridge to the west of Siachen Glacier.
The two nations have had frequent skirmishes ever since. In 1987, India launched Operation Rajiv to capture the highest point on the glacier, which had been captured by the Pakistanis thereby posing a great threat to Indian soldiers. The operation was a success. The leader of the final assault, Havaldar Bana Singh, was awarded Param Vir Chakra in 1988.
A ceasefire in November 2003 between India and Pakistan brought peace in the region. But more men have succumbed to the unforgiving weather in Siachen than bullets.
According to a statement tabled in Parliament in December 2015, 869 soldiers have lost their lives in the glacier because of climatic conditions.
The Kumar Post is named after Colonel Narendra Kumar, the Indian Army mountaineer who first charted the Siachen Glacier and Saltoro Range in 1978. His expedition confirmed Pakistani incursion in the region.