SIACHEN -A SOLDIER's GRAVEYARD!

I wrote this poem in the winters of 1986-87. Explanatory notes are at the end of the poem.The height of SIACHEN GLACIER varies from 12000feet above sea level at Base Camp,snout of the glacier, to 21,000 feet at INDRA COL. The base of Indra Col is at 20,000 feet. Rarified air above 9000feet leads to breathing problems. Pluminary oedema is the most common disease for everyone followed by extreme cold injuries, such as frost bite, chill blains & hypoxia etc.

SOLDIERS AT SIACHEN-PRISONERS OF NATIONAL UNGRATEFULNESS!

Nestled amongst Himalayan peaks--
‘Soltoro’ on west, ‘Karakoram’ on East;
Icy bed of a great glacier runs,
This ‘Valley of Roses’,called Siachen .

‘Sia-la’ in North, ‘Bilafond’ in Centre;
‘Old Silk Route’ through them entered;
To those trekkers of years begone –
Bartering ‘goods’ was purpose known .

From glacier ‘base’ to Indra Col ,
Sheet of whiteness upwards rolls;
Littered with snow, nasty winds blow,
At its snout River Nubra flows .

Nature at its best, free of any pest !
Hefty black crows do have their nest;
Oh, surround this vale, snow-crapped hills;
What a natural prison , devoid of grills !

No fenced–walls and no solitary–cells,
Open compound , without alarm bells;
No tough jailor with barking guards;
Yet prisoners of national ego, do not dart.

Rough is life on glacial surface –
Lots of folds with deep crevasses;
A careless step at this place –
One will disappear without a trace.

Tied with ropes, many dare do walk!
Crawling and panting on non-existing paths-
Laden 'human–mules', carry survival stocks;
Occasionally supplanted by a helicopter drop.

Morning comes, hopes grow ;
Evening shatters Life’s glow ,
Silently curse men their lot --
What crime had them brought?

Memory gets normally impaired,
Eating becomes sometime affair;
Emotional tension abounds in lads,
Some lose nerves and go mad .

Isolation sparks nasty illusions;
Ever-bad-weather adds to confusion !
Sub zero mercury; high speed blizzards-
Even ‘toughies’ sulk under such like hazards .

Bankrupt thoughts! No dreams ever errupt !!
Life, there, goes on in aimless context ;
Men do work like programmed machines ;
‘Death’ and ‘injuries’ are normal routine !

Silent eyes! no questions bespake,
Ever and always towards sky they gaze;
Through clouds some ‘drop’ may come!
Perhaps, a letter from near and dear ones!

‘No Bath’, they must be crazy;
‘No Shave’, Aren’t they lazy?
‘Head to toe’ what clothes they wear ?
No zoo can boast of animals rare ?

Each one counts each one’s days,
No one wants a prolonged stay;
Yet time for them moves very slow,
Each day seems, years in a row .

Some lucky ones go on ‘parole’!
Some spend time singing ‘carroll’.
Self-pride and the 'Regimental image',
Make ‘some’ bear nature’s rage.

Everyday here, as machine guns rattle;
Thundering noise dampen human mettle:
Purposeless fighting thus goes on –
Where not a blade of grass grown.

Leaders across borders make tall claims,
Honours bestowed on heroes of Siachen fame!
‘Sense of reality’ though seemed to be lost,
Amidst emotional minds and prestigious boasts.


EXPLANATORY NOTES!

1. This is a poem on the plight of soldiers on the Glacier. Siachen Glacier is the second largest glacier in the world. It is 105 km long and 8-10 kms wide. (Lambert Glacier in Australia is the largest. It is 406 km long). The posting on the glacier gives a feeling of jail because the soldiers posted there have no connection with the outside world. In the winter of 1986-87, the living conditions were aweful. These were the initial years of SIACHEN OCCUPATION. Temperature would go down as low as minus 50 degree celsius and wind speeds touch as high as 150-200 knots. It was difficult to shave and was a horrendous experience to attend to nature's call. Appetite banished; sleep was disturbed . These conditions apply even today. Memory is affected and people behave in an abnormal manner. Isolation and extreme cold, coupled with high speed winds, create psychological disorders. It is a fallacy that Siachen has a strategic significance. Vested interests have fooled the authorities and the general public. The cost of occupying Siachen Heights is explosive. In 1986, a single ‘Chapati’ a soldier ate, cost the nation Rs 80/-. During the same period, the cost of maintaining a force of half an infantry battalion (Approximately 450-500 men) worked out to Rs two crores per day. And 22 years later, it must have touched some 30-40 crores per day, i.e. a staggering figure of Rs 10950 crores to Rs 14600 crores per year, which is almost 8 to 10 percent of annual defence budget. Think of it, India needs only Rs 28000 crores for the construction of GOLDEN QUARDILATERAL.But annual expenditure on SIACHEN OCCUPATION is just half of this. Economically, the nation has been bleeding since 1985. Further, if 70% of the defence budget goes for pay and allowances; 10 % for Siachen; 10-12% for maintenance of defence assets and about 2% for defence production and research, then it leaves only 6-8% for up-gradation and modernization of armed forces. Poet feels Siachen was a deliberate ploy by Pakistan to bleed India economically. When ‘Zia' said, "--Not a blade of grass grows", he actually taunted at its so-called strategic significance. Those who know the geography would not agree more.Just for the information of general reader--Karakoram pass from Indra Col, the northern most point on the glacier is some 80 miles crow flight, due East, over most hostile terrain and the KHUNJERAB PASS, through which the so called KARAKORAM HIGHWAY passes and links China to POK, is 120 miles crow flight to the North West of indra Col.( I was located at the base of Indra Col in 1986-87 winters)
2 References.

2.1 Line 2 ‘Soltoro’. A ridge line that takes off at Point NJ 9849 and runs North along the Western edge of Siachen Glacier. It separates POK from Indian Kashmir and is also called AGPL (Actual Ground Position Line).

2.2 Line 2.‘Karakoram’. It is a pass East of the Northern most but Eastern Edge of Siachen Glacier. The ridge line from Karakoram Pass, separates Chine from India (Kashmir). The area East of the Siachen Glacier is Aksai Chin which is under Chinese occupation since 1962. The Karakoram Pass joins Aksai Chin Area of Kashmir with Chinese province of Sin Kiang. Today it is only the Siachen Glacier corridor which joins the Indian ashmir with the Chinese province of Sinkang but it is all glaciated on both sides of Indira Col---a northern most point on the Glacier and one of the most hazardous and rugged terrain any where in the world. Even Siberia and Antartica do not match this corridor in its ruggedness and degree of difficulty.

2.3 Line 4. ‘Siachen’. In local dialect, ‘Sia’ stands for valley and ‘Chen’ denotes roses. But this is a misnomer.At Indira Col, the ice is so hardened that hardest stones, too ,would not be as hard. It is million of years of hardened ice. It is only at the base of Siachen Glacier,called 'Snout' where River Nubra takes off that one finds rose-wood shrubs. This glacier takes its name from the Nubra Valley where the Rosewood shrubs abound.

2.4 Line 5.‘Siala’. A pass on the Northern most point on the Siachen Glacier at the junction of Soltoro and the Boltoro ridge lines. Boltoro ridge line takes off North est from here towards Khunzerab pass, through which runs the famous Karakoram highway from Chinese province of Sin-Kiang to Gilgit under Pakistan occupation. In local dialect ‘Sia’ stands for the valley and ‘La’ for the pass. It is a gateway to Siachen valley (i.e In fact Nubra Valley).

2.5 Line 5. Bila Fond. Mid way between point NJ 9849 and Indira Col on the Soltoro Ridge line, is the famous pass of Bila Fond. This part of the glacier was in news in 1987 because of Pakistan’s desperate efforts to get on the Soltoro Ridge line which is effectively dominated by Indian troops from Point NJ 9849 to Indira Col.(Subedar later hony CaptBana singh got his PVC for defending this post.)

2.6 Siachen Dispute. The whole Siachen dispute hinges around Map Pt NJ 9849. In 1949 when Karachi agreement was arrived at, the ceasefire line ended at Pt NJ 9849. It was very difficult to survey the line beyond this by both India and Pakistan as the most hazardous and a glaciated area lay ahead. The present dispute is all about the way the cease fire line should run beyond point NJ 9849. India interprets it as running North from this point all along the Soltoro Ridge line. Pakistan sees it as running North East from this point to Karakoram Pass. If this is conceded then Siachen goes to Pakistan and it gets linked to Aksai Chin area under Chinese occupation. Soltoro Ridge Line is occupied by Indian Army from Point NJ 9849 to Indira Col and this is also called AGPL.


2.7 Line 12. 'Snout’. Base of the Siachen Glacier, which is its protruding nose.

2.8 Line 14. "Hefty Black Crow ---------”. Other than the Soldiers, only other creatures who live here are crows which are almost double the size of normal crows. They have been there from time memorial.

2.9 Line 20. ‘Dart’. Run away.

2.10 Line 22.'Crevass’. An opening in the snow which is a deep abyss.

2.11 Line 57 ‘Go On Parole’.Medical evacuation of patients.

2.12 Line 58 ‘Carrol’. Religious hymns.

2.13 Line 67.‘Sense of Reality’.Practical wisdom and pragmatism.