39th Siachen Day celebrated today 

New Delhi: Indian Army celebrated the 39th Siachen Day today on April 13, 2023. The day is observed to commemorate the courage of the Indian Army under "Operation Meghdoot". The Day also honours Siachen Warriors serving their motherland successfully from the enemy.

The origin of the Siachen dispute lied 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 stemed from the incompletely demarcated territory on the map beyond the map coordinate known as NJ9842.

The task of establishing Indian Army's presence over Siachen Glacier was entrusted to one of the Kumaon Battalions, supported by a company of Ladakh Scouts and two companies of another Kumaon Battalion. 

Before undertaking the task, the Company Group carried out rigorous training for several weeks, which included ice craft, snow craft, survival on snow and physical fitness and mental robustness. 

The operation 'Meghdoot' was led by Maj (later Col ) RS Sandhu, VrC. 

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). Indian Army is the first and only army in the world to have taken tanks and other heavy military ordnance to such an altitude.

More than 2,000 soldiers have died in this inhospitable terrain, mostly due to weather extremes and the natural hazards of mountain warfare. 

In 2003, the late President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam became the first Indian President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to visit Operation Meghdoot personnel.

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