The Siachen Glacier is strategically placed between India and Pakistan, in a disputed and undemarcated region of Kashmir. At 20,000 feet above sea level, it is an inhospitable spread of ice and snow, and has proven itself to be a fatal place for many a soldier. Beyond NJ 9842: The Siachen Saga is a book that tells of an undeclared war that has been raging on for the past three decades between the two countries in this region.
It had started in 1984, when Operation Meghdoot was put into effect by the Indian Army on the barren expanse of the Siachen Glacier, to avoid Pakistan from gaining control of that place. Since then, this glacier has been the world’s highest and coldest battlefield. This operation resulted in India gaining control over the Siachen glacier and all of its tributaries.
The two nations, however, maintain a permanent military presence in the region, even though a cease-fire went into effect in 2003. This conflict has resulted in the death of more than 2000 people, mostly due to weather extremes.
The author, Nitin A. Gokhale, has portrayed this longstanding dispute through the eyes of the veterans who had served there, with the help of their personal stories and anecdotes. It is a slice of history that speaks volumes of the courage and patriotism of the Indian Army, fighting for their country from a place as inhospitable as Siachen. A story of blood, guts and glory, Beyond NJ 9842: The Siachen Saga was published by Bloomsbury India Publishing in 2014, and is available in hardcover.
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
Part I : Operation Meghdoot - The Early Days
Chapter 1 : Waking Up to Siachen
Chapter 2 : Weighing the Options
Chapter 3 : Getting Ready
Chapter 4 : Race to Bilafond La
Chapter 5 : Staying Put
Chapter 6 : The Conflict Widens
Part II : Mastering the Mountains
Chapter 7 : The Air Warriors
Chapter 8 : Getting the Logistics Right
Chapter 9 : The Intrepid Indian Soldier
Chapter 10 : The Tale of Three Battles
Chapter 11 : Medicine Men : Siachen Saviours
Chapter 12 : A Civilian Perspective
Chapter 13 : Why India Cannot Give Up Siachen
Commanders : Siachen Brigade
Glossary
