The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 began on 3rd December and ended on 16th December. Do you know that 16th December is celebrated as Victory Day or Vijay Diwas to observe the victory of India over Pakistan and the liberation of Bangladesh from West Pakistan?

It is a line that demarcates India from Pakistan. On the Indian side lies Ladakh, and on the Pakistan side lies Gilgit-Baltistan and 'Azad Kashmir.' The map that you see above is not what you see in the official maps of India. Indian maps show both areas Gilgit-Baltistan and 'Azad Kashmir', in its official map. The reason is, LOC is not a legally recognized international boundary rather a de-facto border. A de facto border is demarcation done on the basis of the actual ground of control rather than the territorial claim of the country.

The Radcliff line (the Indian border on the west) was put in place during the time of Independence; however, the Line of Control only came into being after the Shimla pact, which was a consequence of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. It was earlier called the ceasefire line, whose history dates back to the first Indo-Pakistan War 1947-48, which was monitored by the UN military forces.

After the liberation of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan signed the 'Shimla Agreement' in 1972. This agreement stated that India and Pakistan will now solve all their disputes through bilateral talks and negotiations only and will not partake in armed wars. This pact rejected any intervention from a third party, even the UN. It changed the ceasefire line into LOC, and no party could change it unilaterally.

The pact sounds peachy, right? It should mean that UN military forces have no work in India or Pakistan since it's no longer a ceasefire line, so they should pack their bags for a vacation. Apparently not. Pakistan seems to disagree with the difference in the terminology of the LOC, and the LOC remains one of the most dangerous places in the world and is continued to be monitored by the UN military forces.

Siachen Glacier is the highest, costliest and deadliest battlefield in the world. It is at the height of 6000 feet and helps India in monitoring both these countries from a height. The cost of maintaining military forces by India is near about 5 Crore INR per day! India has lost nearly 850 soldiers to this area because of the unfavourable climate of this area. Many soldiers lose their lives because of hypothermia and avalanches, which is why demands to demilitarise this area are being made. However, considering the strategic position, it's unlikely that India is going to take that step.

After the Kargil War, the two countries have not engaged in the battles; however, the conflict is long from over. Pakistan adopted a different strategy, 'Bleed India with a thousand cuts', under which non-state actors frequently infiltrate the state of J&K to create insurgency and instability in the place. This is done by Lashkar and terrorist groups in the case of the attack on Parliament, 2008; 2008 Mumbai attack and the 2019 Uri attack.

All these attacks are not a memory of the past. In the year 2020, more than 5000 crossfire violations have occurred over LOC, resulting in at least 50 casualties. In February 2021, both the countries have decided to observe the 'Ceasefire agreement, 2003.' It was a time when countries had a peaceful LOC for almost three years. The countries wish to create the same space once again.

Thousands of lives have been lost on LOC. The life of people in Jammu and Kashmir has turned from bad to worse. The 50 years of war on LOC since its creation between India and Pakistan must end in the name of peace.