Siachen, 1987 : Battle for the Frozen Frontier

By Ramesh Kulkarni| Anjali Karpe

About the book

Kulkarni’s reminiscences of valour, heroism and courage on the Siachen glacier are like an action-packed thriller. The reader will find operational details, including many ‘fog of war’ situations, informative. Even more interesting are his stories of human nature in the battlefield.

– Gen. V.P. Malik

It is a very different war that Indian soldiers fight in Siachen, and Lt Gen Kulkarni’s book explains that through his personal experience. There is no enemy to be seen. The mountains are the real enemies.

— Harish Kapadia, mountaineer

The commander depends on his troops for the actual execution of plans, but the burden of decision-making rests with him. He will bask in the glory of success, but he must also face the brunt of failure.

In 1984, amid escalating tensions at the border between India and Pakistan, the Indian Army raised the 28 Infantry Division in Ladakh, which was responsible for safeguarding the entire northern stretch of the Indian border, including the Line of Control with Pakistan and the Tibetan/Chinese area of the Karakoram Pass.

Siachen, 1987: Battle for the Frozen Frontier tells the story of Lt Gen. Ramesh Kulkarni’s command of this infantry division, giving readers the rare opportunity to view the Siachen glacier and the army’s involvement in the region through the lens of a commander.

This memoir gives a blow-by-blow account of the important combat operations during Kulkarni’s tenure – Operation Rajiv, in which the Quaid Post held by Pakistan was captured; and Operation Vajr Shakti, undertaken to thwart the Pakistani attempt to capture Bilafond La. In addition to the thrilling descriptions of military prowess, the book also touches upon the human cost of the Siachen conflict: being expected to thrive in treacherous terrain and an environment that has claimed innumerable lives.

Gritty and heartfelt, this is a tale of survival on the world’s highest battlefield.