Indian Army Nervous About Chinese Buildup In Siachen

The Indian army is not at all happy with the talk of vacating Siachen glacier and as such has warned the government ahead of India-Pakistan talks this month that giving Pakistan any concessions on Siachen glacier with the heavy presence of the Chinese troops in Karokaram will make the already volatile situation very dangerous. It has been made clear that "no risks" can be taken at this stage.
The Army top brass is vary about historical effort by Pakistan to put its military on the Glacier as it did in the 1980's or at least tried to do. So Indian Army thinks Pakistan may try again once we vacate the area.

The Army's nervousness has become critical with the increasing presence of Chinese troops in Karokram. The Chinese are in complete control of Karokram highway that links Pakistan with China. It has been read as a serious situation. Sources said that,the army's Northern Command whose troops guard the 72 sq km glacier at the height ranging from 18,000 to 21,000 feet above sea level , in its latest assessment has pointed to the new factors that have come into play in the neighbhourhood of the glacier.

Apart from insisting that Pakistan acknowledge the Actual ground Position Line, better known as AGPL, and exchange of maps, it has been suggested that Chinese presence in Karokaram highway should also be taken into account while talking of Siachen and its demilitarization. While Pakistan has been refusing the acknowledgment of the AGPL and exchange of maps, it has been insisting on the demilitarization of glacier.

It is believed that Pakistan's insistence that Siachen should be demilitarised is connected with its future plans on Siachen glacier with the active assistance of the Chinese troops. Much before the Northern Command chief Lt. Gen. K T Parnaik voiced his apprehensions that about the presence of the Chinese troops along the Line of Control, the American newspaper New York Times revealed it all.

"It is difficult to reclaim the things by moving out of barracks when ever the contingency may arise," is a line of caution that has been conveyed in the context of apprehensions .

The demilitarization of Siachen glacier, the highest battleground in the world, could prove strategically suicidal for India as Pakistan has breached trust time and again, at the glacier and Kargil. Although it is said in the army circles that a decision on the demilitarization of the glacier is upto the Government, but militarily the need of the hour is to maintain Indian army footprints over there to foil Pakistan's designs. What if Pakistani troops occupy the glacier?," it is being asked.

It has been pointed out that the cost of evicting Pakistan that time would cannot be imagined in terms of lives , logistics and money. That's simply unthinkable the sources said. Siachen and consequently Kargil, were a manifestation of breach of trust.The strategic importance of Saltoro Hills can be gauged from the fact that it takes only four days to enter into Indian territory from Pakistan's side despite a maze of extremely narrow routes.