PM says ’happy Diwali’ from Siachen; strike hits J&K valley

TNN

New Delhi/Srinagar, Oct 23, 2014: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday morning visited forward posts in the Siachen Glacier-Saltoro Ridge region, ahead of his scheduled visit to be with flood-hit people of J&K on Diwali.

 

"From the icy heights of the Siachen Glacier and with the brave jawans and officers of the armed forces, I wish all of you a happy Diwali," PM Narendra Modi tweeted on Thursday.

 

"Perhaps this is the first time that a PM has got the wonderful opportunity of spending time with our jawans on this auspicious day of Diwali," the PM said.

 

"Wished President Pranab Mukherjee a very happy Diwali from Siachen! I am sure this would be among the most unique greetings Pranab Da received," PM Modi added

 

Indian soldiers control almost all the dominating heights, ranging from 16,000 to 22,000 feet, in the Siachen Glacier-Saltoro Ridge region, where more soldiers are killed due to the harsh weather and avalanches than enemy fire. Arouind 900 Indian soldiers have been killed in the forbidding region since 1984, though the casualties have come down drastically in recent years with India building better infrastructure there. Pakistan has lost even more soldiers in the region.

 

Siachen, often described as the world’s highest, coldest and costliest battlefield, is one of the eight points in the stalled composite dialogue process with Pakistan.

 

India has been steadfast that Pakistan needs to provide ironclad guarantees and foolproof authentication of troop positions before any disengagement and final demilitarization of the icy heights. This is based on the Indian Army’s position that if Pakistani troops occupy the heights vacated by it, then dislodging them from there would be virtually impossible.

 

Indian soldiers deployed on the Saltoro Ridge effectively prevent Pakistan from the west and China from the east joining up through the Karakoram Pass to threaten Ladakh. China, as it is, is expanding its footprint in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

 

Meanwhile, ahead of the PM’s visit to Siachen and Srinagr, Pakistani troops on Thursday again resorted to firing from across the international border.

 

Pakistan Rangers resorted to small arms firing at BSF post in Ramgarh sector of Samba district at 4:10am, Times Now reported.

 

Meanhwile, in yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistan on Thursday again resorted to firing on Border Out Posts (BoPs) along the International Border (IB) in the Samba and Jammu districts of Jammu & Kashmir.

 

"Pakistan Rangers resorted to small-arms firing at a few BoPs along IB in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors at 0100 hours and 0400 hours today," a BSF spokesman said.

 

Separatist strike hits Kashmir valley

 

A shutdown called by separatists affected life here and in the Kashmir valley on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew into Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Public buses went off the roads in Srinagar but private vehicles as well as autorickshaws continued to ply although in fewer numbers, residents and officials said.

 

Security was tight in this summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir as Modi reached Srinagar after a visit to Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield.

 

Most shops and businesses were shut in Srinagar, the urban hub of a dragging separatist campaign that has claimed thousands of lives in Jammu and Kashmir since 1989.

 

Police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in visibly large numbers all across Srinagar.

 

Motorists were asked to show identity papers and pedestrians were frisked at random.

 

Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani accused Modi of rubbing "salt on our wounds" by visiting Kashmir on Diwali but not extending Eid greetings to Kashmiri Muslims.

 

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik said Modi was "politicising a human tragedy" — a reference to the Prime Minister’s planned meetings with victims of the recent floods in the valley.