Operation Meghdoot: How India gained control over strategic Siachen Glacier 40 years ago

It has been forty years since India gained control over the strategic Siachen Glacier and the nearby peaks surprising not only Pakistan and China but also the entire world on 13th April 1984. It is the highest battlefield in the world which remained active ever since India occupied it. No one could have imagined that a small Asian developing country could do this daring act. Siachen has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan ever since Karachi Agreement of 1949 when the area was left undivided due to the hostile terrain and extreme rough weather. No one had the courage to go there and mark the boundaries so the areas north of NJ9842 (map reference point) was left unmarked on the maps. Knowing its strategic importance, it was essential for India to have control over the area and thus the story begins. Let’s analyze the entire operation in six simple points.  

Strategic Importance of the area- India was absolutely clear that due to the strategic importance of this area, it should not allow Pakistan or China to take control over it and when Shaksgam Valley was ceded to China (Although it was very well part of India) by Pakistan in 1963, the mystery over the control of these mountains became firm. Siachen Area is located so strategically that while it dominates Shaksgam Valley in the north, controls the routes coming from Gilgit Baltistan to Leh from the west, and at the same time, dominates the ancient Karakoram Pass in the eastern side too. Further, towards the west, it observes nearly entire of the Gilgit Baltistan which too is an Indian territory illegally occupied by Pakistan in 1948. Had India not occupied this region in 1984, Pakistan would have connected its forces in Gilgit Baltistan to the Chinese occupational areas in Aksai Chin. This would have cut down the entire Ladakh region from Indian approach which could have been detrimental to Indian Interests. Due to these factors, it was essential for India to have first control over the area and that’s why New Delhi planned “Operation Meghdoot” in the early eighties. In the record, it is the longest continuing military operation ever.  

Pre-cursors to the operation - Soon after the Shaksgam Valley was ceded to China, Pakistan started allowing multiple mountaineering expeditions in this area with a dual purpose. Firstly, to internationally claim that the area belongs to them and secondly to have some kind of physical domination over the terrain. To strengthen this, Pakistan was sending a military officer with each of these expeditions as a liaison officer who was not only mapping the area but was also helping in planning.  Indian leaders knew that it is not good for Indian Interests but in the absence of proper planning and terrain mapping, it was not right to launch an operation there. Accordingly, India too started planning mountaineering expeditions in this area and selected a team which not only had mountaineering skills but also were military planners. From 1978 to 1984, India sent multiple military mountaineering expeditions in this area. The first team which went there in 1978 was led by Colonel Narinder (Bull) Kumar followed by another large expedition in 1980. More than a dozen expeditions were launched in various areas and during various seasons.  These expeditions provided valuable data and helped in planning of the operation.  

Timely Intelligence – Pakistan was eager to occupy the area since India started launching multiple Military expeditions, and thus they planned to launch an operation in April 1984. They started their planning using Special Service Group Commandos and the soldiers from Northern areas of Gilgit and Baltistan. Unfortunately, Indian Intelligence was moving few steps ahead of them so when they ordered the arctic gear from a London based company (Since these equipment’s were not being manufactured in India or Pakistan) in large number, Indian agencies got a tip off. Further, it was revealed that Pakistan has kept the day of 17th April 1984 to launch the operation. The strength and overall planning of Pakistan was also uncovered by Indian Intelligence agencies which acted as a major decisive factor in “Operation Meghdoot”.  

Immaculate Planning and Preparations – While Pakistani Army was comfortable operating in Glacial terrain as they were accompanying nearly all of the mountaineering expeditions, Indian forces lacked it somehow. As part of the planning and to acquaint Indian Soldiers to the Glacial warfare, India planned in multiple ways. Firstly, they sent selected soldiers to Antarctica in 1982 which helped them understand the challenges in such environment. Secondly, the troops selected for this operation were from hills like Garhwal, Kumaon, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh who were well versed with the mountains since the childhood and thirdly, these troops were further trained in the Ladakh area in all forms of mountain warfare. The entire planning was done at the highest level and then Director General Military Operations, Lt Gen C.N Somanna western Army Commander Lt Gen M.L. Chibbar and MGGS of Northern Command Major General Amarjit Singh were directly involved in the day-to-day planning. Several war games were arranged at the Army headquarters to simulate the situation and anticipate the roadblocks. We did our planning, we had intelligence, we had entire terrain data, we had motivated and well-trained troops, and we had the requisite equipment’s to launch an operation, so it was nearly impossible to stop the Indian forces.  

Element of Surprise and those four days – In order to have a chance of success, India had to maintain the highest degree of surprise since Pakistani forces were fully prepared to launch an operation. Since the date of their operation (17th April 1984) was known to the Indian agencies, Indian leadership decided to pre-empt their plan by four days and these four days proved to be decisive in Operation Meghdoot. It Lt General PN Hoon, who was the Corps Commander of Srinagar based 15 Corps and Major General Shiv Sharma, then General Officer Commanding or 3rd Mountain division at that time, were supervising the operation to the minutest details while the Brigade commanders of 102 Mountain brigade and 26 Sector respectively, Brigadier Jal Master & Brigadier V Channa were carrying out ground reconnaissance. The actual operation started in March 1984 when the selected Army units started moving to the glacier. To maintain further surprise, airlifting of the troops was avoided and our brave soldiers marched on foot to these heights. By 13th April 1984 which was the day of “Baisakhi”, Indian troops were controlling nearly all the dominating heights in Siachen area, peaks overlooking Saltoro ridge and nearly all watersheds of the region. And when Pakistani troops started moving to the region on 17th April 1984, they found Indian soldiers already occupying the heights. They were controlling nearly 100% of the Siachen glacier region with over 2550 sq km area. Poor Pakistanis had no option but to hold the fort at the foothills where they were to be battered by Indian soldiers in the coming years.  

Determination to hold the fort – Since the approach to these hills was from Pakistani side & Indian side was extremely hostile, it was an impossible task to maintain the area in terms of logistics, strategy, and health of the troops. Firstly, the temporary posts were converted into permanent ones, then military support elements like Artillery, Medical, Air Defence, Communications etc. were bought in. To maintain the posts, a complex structure of Air maintenance system was set up with the help of Indian Air Force, a system which still maintains the area till date. Today, Indian deployment has not only helped us strategically but also trained our soldiers in high altitude warfare. Kargil war of 1999 & events post Galwan valley clash in 2020 are examples where training of Indian troops in Siachen not only helped us to win the war but also to put a tight slap over the face of both Pakistan and China. 

Operation Meghdoot is still on and will continue till a political solution of the Jammu and Kashmir problem is achieved with both Pakistan and China. However, Operation Meghdoot was unique in its own ways as no such operation was ever carried out by any military in the history and no one had occupied such a terrain continuously for over four decades. It was due to the strong determination of Indian military leadership and valor of Indian soldiers which made this possible.