Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the Siachen region of Ladakh as the ‘capital of valour and courage’ at a meeting with the Indian Armed Forces on Monday.
Addressing personnel of the Indian army posted in the region, Singh said the soldiers were no less than deities for India.
The minister visited the Siachen base camp, known as the world’s highest battlefield following the 1999 India-Pakistan war, on Monday to assess the overall military readiness in the region.
“The land of Siachen is not an ordinary land. It is a symbol of the country’s sovereignty and perseverance. It represents our national determination," Singh said.
"Our national capital is Delhi, Mumbai is our economic capital, our technological capital is Bengaluru, but Siachen is the capital of valour and courage,” he added.
The Defence Minister’s visit came after the Indian Army celebrated the 40th anniversary of its operation to gain control over the Siachen region.
The Indian army established its presence on the Siachen glacier in 1984 under operation Meghdoot. The operation was launched to thwart attempts by the Pakistani army to take control of the glacier's heights.
"Your responsibility of being a protector gives you a status of deity," the defence minister asserted. "The deities protect us in one way or other. You are doing the same. You are doing your duty, you are no less than a deity."
Situated at an elevation of around 20,000 feet (6,000 metres) in the Karakoram range, the Siachen glacier was the site of the three-month-long Indian-Pakistani Kargil War in 1999.
“We are leading a peaceful life as we have an assurance that our brave soldiers stand steadfast at the borders," Singh said. "In the times to come, when the history of national security is written, the acts of bravery and iron-clad will of our soldiers in the icy cold glacier will be remembered with pride. It will forever be an inspiration for future generations.”