38th Siachen Day celebrates on 13 April 2022

Context

Indian Army marks Siachen Day on April 13 every year. The day is observed to commemorate the courage of the Indian Army under “Operation Meghdoot”.

About the Siachen Glacier

• The Siachen Glacier is the highest battleground on earth, where India and Pakistan have fought intermittently since 1984. 
• Both countries maintain a permanent military presence in the region at a height of over 6,000 metres (20,000 ft). 
• More than 2,000 soldiers have died in this inhospitable terrain, mostly due to weather extremes and the natural hazards of mountain warfare.
  
  

History of Siachen Conflict

• The origin of the Siachen dispute lies in the fact that both the 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.

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