In his second visit to Siachen since 2019, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Monday assessed the security situation at the glacier and told soldiers that their acts of bravery and “iron-clad will” in the icy-cold heights will be remembered with pride. Singh was scheduled to visit the glacier last month during Holi. The visit was postponed due to poor weather. Subsequently, he visited Leh, from where he spoke to soldiers in Siachen over the phone and told them that he would soon come to visit. On Monday, he called Siachen the capital of courage, grit and determination. “In the times to come, when the history of national security is written, the acts of bravery and iron-clad will of our soldiers in the icy cold glacier will be remembered with pride. It will forever be an inspiration for future generations,” he said. Siachen — referred to as the world’s highest battlefield — is marked by extreme weather conditions with frequent avalanches and temperatures dipping to minus 50 degrees Celsius in winters. Around 35,000 troops are deployed in high-altitude areas across the Army’s eastern and northern commands together. Over 2,000 soldiers are posted in Siachen and surrounding areas. More than 1,100 soldiers have died defending the Siachen glacier over the years. Singh’s first visit to the area came in 2019, soon after he took over as Defence Minister. The second visit comes close on the heels of the 40th anniversary of Operation Meghdoot, which the Army launched in Siachen on April 13, 1984, to take control of the glacier. “The success of Operation Meghdoot is a matter of pride for all of us,” the Defence Minister said, referring to it as a golden chapter in India’s military history.
