A prominently displayed slogan on the military’s Siachen base camp is a slogan that warns troopers: “The land is so barren and the passes are so high, that only the most fierce enemies and best friends want to visit us.”
Truly, whereas the enemy is close to, greatest pals can by no means depart.
The lowest level of Siachen, the muzzle of a glacier of desert ice and snow, is about 12,000 toes. Soldiers are deployed as much as an altitude of twenty-two,000 toes. It is commonly described as the best battlefield on this planet, however the enemy in Siachen just isn’t a single unit armed with rifles and weapons throughout the precise floor place line – no trade of fireside between Indians and Pakistanis in additional than a dozen. just isn’t supplied. Years right here – however nature, environment, snow, mountains, and isolation, thoughts and physique.
climate
Major Saurabh Kaithat of Ladakh Scouts remembers that it was his fourth day on the 21,000 toes excessive submit, when the snow started to fall in a 22-day lengthy blizzard. It was not Dr. Zhivago’s tender, stunning snow. Snow is a four-letter phrase in Siachen.
“It was a white-out,” Kaithat describes, utilizing a phrase that comes up in each dialog round Siachen, which means zero visibility even through the day. Kaithat is a veteran of two postings in Siachen in 2001 and 2010.
What occurred subsequent was extreme rationing. “There was no communication, and our shares have been coming down. We needed to reduce using every little thing, particularly the gasoline.”
From melting ice on heaters for cooking and consuming water to lighting pre-built ice shelters, kerosene is a magical substance. “It is the lifeline, and you need to preserve it till the subsequent provide. You do not know when it’ll come subsequent due to the climate.”
There are solely very small home windows to replenish on, because the climate adjustments quickly and abruptly. Also, there are only a few locations a provide helicopter can land, and little or no load it could actually carry.
The temperature varies between -25 levels through the day and -55 levels within the night time. A unit is posted at Siachen for 2 years, whereas troopers are posted on the highest posts for a most of 90 days, and typically even much less.
Kerosene is a magical substance, used for every little thing from cooking to lighting snow shelters. But if the provision runs out, when the subsequent provide will come, nothing will be mentioned.
Before being deployed to Siachen, troopers endure rigorous coaching on the Siachen Battle School positioned close to the bottom camp, and adapt to the situations. They be taught rock-climbing and deal with ice partitions in addition to negotiate cracks. Rigorous medical screening is carried out, and troopers affected by hypertension or suspected coronary heart ailments are launched.
Major Amritesh Kumar of the Sikh Regiment, who had a stint in Siachen in 2005, aside from accidents, adaptation is the preliminary problem. “If you walk through the early days, chances are you’ll last a full term.”
dwelling quarters
“There aren’t any beds. We sleep on makeshift beds that lie on high of provides that we retailer in shelters. There isn’t any different place to maintain them,” says Lt Col Manav Sharma, 35, of Ladakh Scouts, now posted at Chandimandir Cantonment, the headquarters of the Army’s Western Command.
“It takes three hours to heat a bucket of water to wash it,” he provides. “Everything that we think of as normal and normal here doesn’t exist there.”
In that freezing temperature, a shower needs to be the very last thing on a soldier’s thoughts. But, as Sharma says, there’s a purpose behind it. “One should try to be as normal as possible in this kind of desolation. The first thing is to keep yourself fit, only then you can fight. Stick to your routine.”
When they bathe inside pre-built ice huts, the crevices normally function bogs, with ladders main down. The troopers transfer a bit away from the submit, in order that the excreta and urine usually are not discovered within the snow that must be melted for consuming water.
When troopers depart, they tie themselves to one another in order that they do not disintegrate when the climate adjustments they usually get caught in a snowstorm or fall right into a hidden swamp.
Colonel Sameer Gupta, who served as a physician in Siachen in 1992, remembers that at some point a soldier went out to the bathroom. “He never came back. We found his body much later. He was swept away despite being tied to a rope inside the tent.”
When troopers set out, they tie themselves to one another in order that they do not disintegrate when the climate adjustments they usually get caught in a snowstorm or fall right into a hidden swamp.
medical care
There is a nursing attendant in each place, and a physician in each firm. According to Col Gupta, this can be a enormous morale booster.
“A doctor is a big psychological factor. When soldiers learn that there is a doctor around, it is reassurance,” says Gupta, who’s now serving on the Command Hospital in Chandimandir Cantt.
However, the medical doctors themselves reside in fixed worry of a medical emergency. “The withdrawal chain is very strong, provided the weather is good. During my time, we had a soldier who was shrapnel due to enemy artillery fire. We could not evacuate him for three days as no helicopter could land due to bad weather,” says Col KVS Hari Kumar, Gupta’s aide.
Col Kumar says, “There were situations where the weather was bad for four days and a patient suffering from high altitude pulmonary edema was lost as he could not be evacuated to the low altitude immediately”.
A medical camp at Siachen Glacier.
Mind
Major Kaithat, caught in his first blizzard, remembers studying “everything”. “I first read every newspaper and magazine on the post. Thereafter, I began to read the newspapers pasted on the inner walls of our shelter. Then I read the Gita… I found a copy lying in a shelter.”
When you’ve got run out of all that, it comes right down to studying the substances on toothpaste and shampoo cartons, says Major Dhruv Raj Sirohi, 30, of the Rajput Regiment.
Major Kaithat explains that the concept is to maintain as busy as attainable. So throughout these 22 days of Blizzard, all of the work he did concerned volunteering to fetch water and write operational logs, simply to remain lively.
Even troopers who’ve by no means entered the kitchen earlier than be taught to cook dinner, and with enthusiasm.
“I used to cook a lot,” says Lt Col Sharma, including that “special meals” are more likely to arrive. He provides the instance of a dish referred to as “Siachen Pudding”. “It is a mix of sweets available at the post including chocolate, biscuits, powdered milk, condensed milk.”
Vegetables and meats must be thawed earlier than they are often cooked. “They are like stones. I used to dream of green vegetables,” smiles Major Kaith.
“Psychologically, it is a huge challenge,” says Major Kumar. “There is a lot separation. Your bodily urge for food subsides, however your mental starvation just isn’t quelled. I used to begin discussions solely to speak to the troopers. But nobody is within the temper to talk or focus on something. They do not need to contribute, simply nod their heads. There is separation at each stage. ,
“You have to put the team in a good mood. I used to compulsorily write letters at home from the boys,” says Lt Col Sharma.
Officials say that with everybody sporting the identical garments, consuming the identical meals and sleeping in the identical frequent shelter, the road between an officer and a jawan could be very skinny. Ten to 11 troopers, together with the commanding officer of the rank, usually share a fiberglass shelter. This additionally retains the morale up.
What turns troopers aside from one another attributable to interior worry, loneliness and despair is the canines. “Almost every post has a dog. We had a pisti (a mountain stray dog) whose specialty was that she used to have breakfast at one post, then went to another post for lunch and had dinner at the third post. She knew where her next meal was coming from, so we used to send letters tied to her collar,” laughs Lt Col Manav.
Major Kumar remembers how the canine in his submit used to eat roti dipped in condensed milk, however by no means from the bottom. “He always wanted it on a plate.”
All canines in Siachen are normally named after meals gadgets – candies, pastries and so on.
cellphone name
Soldiers are allowed to make residence calls as soon as per week. Most distant posts have a satellite tv for pc cellphone, and calls are made by an operator. Bad climate signifies that connections usually do not work.
Sometimes sacrifices need to be made right here too. A soldier might depart a part of his time on the cellphone for his colleague who needs extra time on the cellphone with household.
Major Amritesh remembers, “I used to ask the operator to inform my mom that I’m nice and he or she in return calls me and says ‘Mother is saying she is ok.
siachen glacier map
Return
Returning to civilization after spending three months in that wilderness will be stunning. “When we full our rotation on the posts and take depart, inside just a few hours, we’re again in Chandigarh or New Delhi. Seeing the tall buildings, site visitors on the roads, the sensation will be very complicated. I keep in mind having mineral water again residence in Shatabdi and pondering ‘that is enjoyable’ since you get used to consuming melted ice,” says Major Dhruv Raj Singh.
“The stories of Siachen… they never end, there are many,” says Lt Col Sharan. His three postings are in 2001, 2010 and 2014. Every day of your posting is completely different.”
The multi-valued Siachen Glacier Ribbon, worn proudly on their uniforms by these serving within the Saltoro Range, is a boring grey-white stripe, signifying the chilly, unforgiving terrain conquered by the boys.
But for troopers, nothing beats the satisfaction of serving on the best battlefield on this planet.
Col. Kumar says, “It is a difficult time for all, but a good time.” “For individuals who can come again like us and speak about it, this can be a nice time. Unfortunately, quite a lot of tragic incidents additionally occur.”
Originally revealed on February 14, 2016.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
