38th Siachen Day: Operation Meghdoot- Know all about how India captured world’s highest battlefield

38th Siachen Day: Indian Army observed 38th Siachen Day on April 13, 2022. The day is observed every year to commemorate the courage displayed by the Indian Army troops in securing the highest battlefield in the world 'Siachen Glacier' under Operation Meghdoot.

The Indian Army had launched 'Operation Meghdoot' to gain control of Bilafond La and other passes on the Saltoro Ridgeline from Pakistani aggression on April 13, 1984. Siachen Day is celebrated largely by the Siachen Warriors Brigade of Fire & Fury Corps.

Siachen Day not only commemorates the courage and valour of the Indian Army but also honours the brave Siachen Warriors who laid down their lives to capture the icy Siachen glacier and serve their motherland successfully. This year completes 38 years since the Indian Army successfully captured Siachen Glacier. 

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Which place is called the highest battlefield in the world?

Siachen is called the highest and coldest battlefield in the world.

When was Siachen captured?

The Indian Army gained control of Siachen on April 13, 1984 after it launched a military operation called 'Operation Meghdoot'.

What is Operation Meghdoot?

Operation Meghdoot was a code name for the Indian Army's operation to secure control over the Siachen glacier in Kashmir. The operation, which was the first military operation of its kind, was carried out on the morning of April 13, 1984. Indian Army is the first and only army in the world to have taken tanks and other heavy military ordnance to such an altitude.

Late President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam became the first Indian President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to visit the troops deployed in 'Operation Meghdoot' in 2003. 

Operation Meghdoot: Know what happened on April 13, 1984

• The Indian Army decided to take undertake the operation on April 13, 1984 after an intelligence report surfaced claiming that Pakistan was planning a similar operation under the name 'Operation Ababeel' to occupy the glacier by April 17.
• Lieutenant General Prem Nath Hoon had led Operation Meghdoot’s first phase in March 1984 when Indian troops marched with full battle packs through icy  Zoji La pass for days to avoid detection by Pakistani radars.
• Almost 300 Indian troops were deployed on critical peaks and passes of Siachen by April 13, gaining control of the crucial glacier. India subsequently gained control over the 70-km-long Siachen Glacier and its tributary glaciers and all the main passes and heights of the Saltoro Ridge immediately west of the glacier, including Sia La and Bilafond La. Pakistan could also manage to take control over Saltoro Ridge's western slopes and foothills.
• A ceasefire was announced in 2003 but both India and Pakistan maintain a permanent heavy military presence in the area. The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths, mostly due to extreme weather and natural hazards.

Why is Siachen so important?

The Siachen Glacier is the highest battleground on earth. The Saltoro Ridge overlooks the area of Gilgit–Baltistan of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and guards the routes leading to Leh, the principal town and capital of Ladakh. It is a point of conflict between India and Pakistan since April 13, 1984. 

Siachen Conflict: History and Origin

The origin of the Siachen dispute lies in the fact that both Karachi Agreement of 1949 and the Shimla Agreement of 1972 did not clearly mention who controlled the glacier. The conflict stems from the incompletely demarcated territory on the map beyond the map coordinate known as NJ9842. While Shimla Agreement does not mention the point at all, the Karachi agreement mentions a ceasefire line that terminates at the point called Pt NJ 9842.

Indian interpretation was that Pakistan's territory extended only till the Saltoro Ridge based on the Simla agreement, while Pakistan assumed that their territory continued northeast from the point till Karakoram Pass. As a result, both nations claim to have rights over the icy Siachen Glacier.

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