By Vishnu Makhijani
IANS
Siachen Base Camp (Jammu & Kashmir) : Stressing that Islamabad must validate the ground positions of Indian and Pakistani troops on the Siachen glacier battlefield in Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Saturday that this was essential for any "forward movement" on the issue.
Siachen is one of the sticking points in the resolution to the vexed Kashmir issue that has dogged the South Asian neighbours for nearly six decades and Antony indicated there was no early solution in sight.
Speaking to reporters here on the conclusion of his first visit to Kashmir's Ladakh region after assuming office last October, Antony also ruled out any troop reductions in Kashmir, saying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was very clear that he would go by (the Indian Army's) "professional advice" on this.
On Siachen, the minister said: "From the beginning, our position has been clear – before there is any forward movement, the actual ground position line (AGPL of the two countries' troops) has to be authenticated. After that we can think about other movements."
"Both sides must agree to the AGPL on the map and on the ground," Antony asserted.
Asked if he saw an early resolution to the issue, he retorted: "I can't say that."
Indian and Pakistani troops have been locked in a bitter standoff since 1984 on the Siachen glacier, where the heights rise to 22,000 feet and the temperatures plunge to minus 50 degree Celsius in winter. The guns have been silent since a truce was declared in 2003.
Islamabad has all along maintained that it would authenticate the AGPL as it existed in 1984, when Indian troops moved in to foil Pakistani designs in the area. India is insisting on verifying the AGPL as it presently exists.
Pakistani officials have now been quoted as saying Islamabad would agree to verify the present troop positions only if India promised not to legally enforce the boundary.
Questioned as to whether Pakistan could be trusted, given its contrary actions in the past, Antony replied: "I don't want to elaborate. Our policy is not to spoil the present atmosphere (of peace talks). But history is also on our minds."
His reference was to the 1999 Kargil conflict in which Pakistani troops invaded the area even as the then Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif were engaged in peace parleys.
Antony had also referred to Kargil earlier in the day when he addressed the officers and troops of the Indian Army's Siachen Brigade after flying over the glacier and witnessing the training activities of the soldiers.
"Eternal vigilance is necessary whenever there is any threat from any quarter to the country's unity. We must face it firmly, as we did in Kargil," Antony stated.
Asked about the progress in the talks between the defence secretaries of the two countries, Antony replied cryptically: "They are going on."
Indian Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt provided a slightly different perspective on this.
"For the first time, my counterpart is not a defence (army) man. I told him at our last meeting that even farmers demarcate their land before they start tilling," he stated.
At the talks in Islamabad last month, the defence secretaries had only agreed to meet again.
Antony's visit was part of his familiarisation tour of key locations of the armed forces. He has thus far visited the northeastern region, the Jammu region of Kashmir, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Antony has also spent a day at sea with the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard service and has interacted with scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). Next on the cards is a visit to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh to inspect conditions on the India-China border.
Indian Army chief Gen. J.J. Singh, Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt, Secretary (Defence Production) K.P. Singh, the prime minister's special envoy Shyam Saran, Border Roads Organisation director general Lt. Gen. K.S. Rao and the director (China) in the external affairs ministry were among those who accompanied the minister.