India has failed my father and other brave soldiers in Siachen

I feel that the attention being meted out to the death of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad exposes the hypocrisy of the Indian government and us as a "people".

I speak as someone who has had the opportunity to visit Siachen Base Camp and to see first-hand the way in which the Indian army "survives" there. Our soldiers march on their feet to 21,000feet (6,400m) above the sea level to reach the glacier to live in igloos made of fiberglass panels, keeping themselves warm with the clothes on their bodies and kerosene stoves in temperatures as low as -55 degrees! 

It takes months of training under extremely harsh conditions to even be prepared to do so. Many politicians and columnists in India know nothing about Siachen, yet they have an opinion on the issue. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the first Indian prime minister to visit the area, calling for a peaceful resolution of the Siachen conflict. In 2007, the president of India, Abdul Kalam became the first head of state to visit the area. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Siachen in October 2014 to celebrate Diwali with the troops and boost their morale. Honestly, is that enough?

My father was posted in Nimo, an army base 35km from Leh. He was there for a little over two years, and still bears testimony of his life in Ladakh in the form of permanent "white spots" on his hands. While tourists are required to acclimatise themselves by staying indoors for two days when they arrive in Leh, our soldiers returning from Siachen can do nothing about the high-altitude diseases that they suffer on their return. Soldiers who come back often suffer problems of hearing, eyesight and memory loss due to the prolonged use of oxygen masks. They get no awards for their sufferings. It is taken for granted; it is part of their job!

Siachen is the highest battleground on earth, where we have been fighting with Pakistan since 1984. Both countries maintain military presence in the region, even at a height of over 20,000ft, and in extreme weather conditions. Thousands of soldiers have died in this inhospitable terrain, not only due to warfare, but owing to the extreme weather and natural hazards. Siachen is just a cold and barren region, of little or no value otherwise, but of symbolic importance to both the countries. While the Indian Army has been in possession of most of the heights with the advantage of the high ground (which makes it easier to target and shoot), the Pakistan army has held posts at lower elevations. The Pakistanis have been unable get up to the crest of the Saltoro Ridge, while the Indians cannot come down and abandon their strategic high posts.

Hence, troops from both countries have to always be present at these altitudes, irrespective of the conditions. But then, how can this war ever be won? Every year, more soldiers are killed because of severe weather than enemy firing. And I am not only talking about avalanches. In an avalanche, multiple soldiers are killed, so it is brought to our notice by the national media, but many soldiers die over a period of time from more natural causes like frostbite, hypothermia, pulmonary oedema, depression and other complications.

One particular incident of a soldier comes to mind. My father's friend was the base commander of Siachen when we visited and he recounted the story of a soldier of his unit who died of depression in his arms because his father was dying of a critical disease and his job entailed that he could do nothing about it. There are many such stories of the soldiers in Siachen! Nausea, speech problems, insomnia and depression are some of the most common problems our soldiers face.

My father lost six soldiers of his regiment, the first Assam regiment, in an avalanche, while they were moving between posts in December, 2012. I remember him telling me about leaving for the airport as the bodies were being flown down to Chandigarh with a slight edge to his voice. Every year, both Indian and Pakistan lose soldiers to Siachen. Official figures for maintaining these outposts are put at $300 and $200 (approximately) million for India and Pakistan respectively. And this when both our countries have millions below the poverty line, even as we grapple with issues such as poverty, unemployment, education, et al.

The money comes from the taxes paid by the people of the country. For how long can Pakistan and India afford to spend so much on Siachen? And for what? So both sides continue to suffer casualities? Instead of the ceremonial visits to the hospital bed of a one-off soldier, it is time the Parliament discussed this, and it is time our prime minister includes this as one of the agendas for his foreign trips! It is about time!