Image taken from the net.

People know of the Unknown Soldier, generally commemorated in a monument dedicated to all the soldiers who died in a particular conflict. There are several of them all over the world. But how many have heard of an UNKNOWN WAR?

The battles over SIACHEN, a glacier in the northernmost part of India, remain among the little-known battles fought by the brave soldiers of our Indian Army. This was largely because the country was at that time occupied with the Sri Lankan problem.

Like most Indians, I too was unaware of what actually happened in Siachen, around 2000 km away and over 18,000 ft above mean sea level at its highest point, from my safe and secure home in Mumbai

Yesterday, purely by chance I happened to attend an event to commemorate Kargil Day where Lt. General Ramesh Kulkarni who directed the operations at Siachen in 1987 was invited to talk about the book he has written about it.

Why fight over a glacier?

Glaciers are frozen rivers. Barren and desolate, they are of little use to man or beast since living conditions are inhospitable, to say the least. But the Siachen Glacier is of strategic importance to India. Besides, when it melts, the waters feed into the Indus, the largest irrigation system in the region.

what makes this conflict unique

1. Over two major operations Operation Rajiv ( capture of the Pakistani post Quaid) and Operation Vajra Shakti ( thwarting of the Pakistani attempt at capturing Bilafond La), the Indian Army fought its first-ever high-altitude battle where even the guns froze in the cold!
2. With limited resources running short, the soldiers still managed to hold on.

AN EXCITING ADVENTURE

Hearing the general talk about it sent shivers down my spine, and I would recommend this book to all lovers of Military history and stories of courage and adventure. Well written by the General’s daughter, I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for him to recall these difficult and challenging days.

I would not like to get into any controversies, hence I request my readers to read the book itself.

Ciao and happy reading,