On top of such surrenders has been the return of not only the huge territories India occupied during the 1971 war, but also about 95,000 soldiers who had surrendered in Dhaka, following the Simla agreement between Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistan President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. One would have thought that the big deal based on a magnanimous act on India’s part would resolve the differences between the two countries and bring them closer as good neighbours. Subsequent events proved that was not to be. In fact, things worsened after a brief lull, bringing them face to face once again.

India’s penchant to give away the booties has not been limited to the Simla agreement. In fact, it has been there at the end of every war with Pakistan. In 1965 Indian troops captured the strategically important position of Haji Pir in the Uri sector. This enabled the people of Uri, and of the Valley , to walk down to Poonch area of the state in four hours, which otherwise would mean a distance of 700 kilometers of hilly roads taking not less than three days by bus. For the people of Kashmir there could not have been a better victory against Pakistan. But alas, the post was returned to Pakistan in the wake of the Tashkent agreement between Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistan President General Ayub Khan. Indian troops were pulled back to their original positions. And this happened despite two important factors. One that Haji Pir falls within Pakistan occupied part of Jammu and Kashmir, which India claims as its own. And two, the victory of Haji Pir marked jubilation by the local residents who could taste a commodity like sugar for the first time in their lives, provided to them by the Jammu and Kashmir government.

In the Chhamb sector of Jammu region, the critical chicken-neck area was captured by the Indian troops several times during the course of wars, but was returned to Pakistan each time. Pakistan has now renamed the area, returned by India, as Iftikharabad, the victory land.

It is out of this give- give syndrome that the advancing Indian troops were ordered to stop at Uri in 1947 and allowed Pakistan to retain the rest of the Jammu and Kashmir with it.

And now the air is thick with speculations that India is going to return the Siachen glacier to Pakistan and that the talks in this regard are at a very advanced stage. This is the point from where Indian troops are in a position to keep a vigil on the movement on Karakoram Highway between Pakistan and China and thereby provide security to the Ladakh region.

The road has been built after Pakistan handed over a portion of POK to China. It also gives a military advantage to Indian troops not only over Shyok and Nubra Valleys but also on the Pakistani positions located about 3000 feet below.

Ever since Indian troops dislodged Pak troops in this region on April 13, 1984, crippling environment has been claiming more lives than the enemy fire. And now, when the Indian troops have mastered the drills to operate in the area, it would be foolish to withdraw them from there. The buzz is that after the Foreign Secretary level talks Siachen is going to be a major issue during the Foreign Ministers talks in Islamabad next month. The heroic deeds of Bana Singh who captured the highest Pakistani post of Qaid, now called Bana post, cannot be forgotten so lightly.

When the cease fire line (CFL) in Jammu and Kashmir was being demarcated in 1947-48 neither India nor Pakistan was keen to extend it to Siachen. Accordingly, the 1949 UN resolution terminated the CFL at Khor in Shyok Valley, at map reference NJ 9842. The cease-fire line, which was converted into the Line of control in 1972 also stopped at NJ point 9842. It is from this point onwards that India and Pakistan differ on its course. While Pakistan says it extends North- East to Karakoram Pass, giving the entire glacier to it, India says that it extends along the Saltro ridge leaving the entire area with India.

In the backdrop of Kargil infiltration and the subsequent conflict, withdrawal from Siachen would be a blunder. What, if the Pakistani troops occupy the heights once Indian troops withdraw? Army experts feel that it will be a very costly exercise in terms of effort and the sacrifice to dislodge them again. One would hope that Army’s assessment will prevail upon the authorities and the Give-Give syndrome will not come into play once again.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is to visit Pakistan shortly. General Musharraf has already started to play his usual tune, saying that he hopes to achieve headway on what he calls the “simmering issues” of Kashmir and Siachen during Dr. Singh’s visit. For him terrorism is not a simmering issue and he is not bothered about it.

While attempts to normalise relations with Pakistan are welcome, India needs to be wary about Pakistan President’s moves. Accommodation beyond a point by India may not help. It has not during the last 58 years, at least. A ‘give - give’ attitude will only demoralise the Indian Army by concluding that it is no use to sacrifice lives for victory as the political executive will return the strategic points later on.

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