The Scaling of Kanchenjunga and What it Means to Sikkim's Culture and Autonomy
Menu
हिंदी తెలుగు اردو
Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion
Support independent journalism. Donate Now
Culture
The Scaling of Kanchenjunga and What it Means to Sikkim's Culture and Autonomy
Jiwan Rai
11 minutes ago
On May 18 this year, an expedition team under the Har Shikhar Tiranga Mission, an initiative of the Indian Army, planted the national flag atop the Kanchenjunga peak. This has hurt the indigenous Buddhist communities of Sikkim, to whom the mountain is a deeply revered spiritual entity.
Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal during the Kanchenjunga expedition. Photo: Facebook.
Real journalism holds power accountable
Since 2015, The Wire has done just that.
But we can continue only with your support.
Contribute now
Twenty-four years ago, while the rest of India was racing to open up 18 virgin peaks and 176 lesser-known summits to foreign climbers, the Sikkim government, through notification 70/HOME/2000, imposed a ban on expeditions to its highest peak, Kanchenjunga, along with seven other peaks considered sacred by local Buddhists.
This administrative decision was actually the reaffirmation of a longstanding cultural tradition of reverence. In fact, an expedition to Kangchenjunga would fall under the scope of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prohibits any desecration of sites held sacred.
When British climbers Joe Brown and George Band first successfully ascended Kangchenjunga in 1955, they voluntarily stopped just short of the summit to honour local sentiments. Their act of restraint was more than a display of mountaineering ethics. It was a profound gesture of civilisational respect.
Nearly seven decades after the respectful restraint shown by climbers on Kangchenjunga, fresh reports of another summit attempt have stirred a storm of emotions among the Bhutia and Lepcha communities of Sikkim.
On May 18 this year, an expedition team under the Har Shikhar Tiranga Mission, a patriotic initiative of the Indian Army executed through the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), successfully planted the national flag atop the sacred peak.
The mission, led by the celebrated mountaineer Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal, was envisioned as a tribute to India's unity in diversity. 'This wasn't just an expedition,' Colonel Jamwal remarked. 'It was a tribute to every corner of India. From the dense forests of the Northeast to the icy ramparts of Kanchenjunga, our Tiranga has now flown atop every state's highest point. I'm proud of the team and honoured to lead a mission that reflects the unity and diversity of our great nation.'
Sacred
However, beneath the wave of patriotic celebrations, are the hurt religious sentiments and cultural traditions of the indigenous Buddhist communities of Sikkim. To them Kanchenjunga is not merely a geographic pinnacle, it is a deeply revered spiritual entity. Its summit is considered sacred and has traditionally been off-limits to human trespass. This restriction is not unique to Sikkim; similar bans exist elsewhere. In China, Mount Kailash remains unclimbed due to its profound spiritual significance, while in Nepal, climbing Machapuchare and Khumbila is prohibited out of respect for their sacred status among the Gurung and Sherpa communities.
The recent ascent has reignited a long-standing and sensitive debate between the fervour of national pride and religious belief.
In this image released by @adgpi via X on May 19, 2025, a team of Indian Army and Nepali Army personnel climbs Kanchenjunga mountain. (@adgpi via PTI Photo) Photo: PTI
In anticipation of this clash, the Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) had taken pre-emptive efforts. On April 4, it formally petitioned the Ministry of Defence and the governor of Sikkim, Om Prakash Mathur, urging them to halt the planned expedition.
The irony should not be lost in how an initiative meant to celebrate the unity in India's diversity has hurt the sentiments of a religious and cultural group of a state that had merged with India by way of abolition of its own kingdom 50 years ago. True unity respects diversity, and true patriotism upholds the sentiments of all its peoples.
Now, as the tricolour flutters over a peak considered sacred for centuries, the question before the nation is not merely who reached the top but at what cultural cost. When seen through a time-honoured Sikkimese lens, Kanchenjunga is not a trophy for adventurers, a playground for thrill-seekers, or just another tick on a climber's checklist. It stands as a symbol of cultural heritage and the pinnacle of religious identity for a significant section of Sikkim's people. In this context, the ban on climbing it is not merely a regulatory restriction. It is a civilisational assertion. And the significance of this act extends beyond religion or tradition. It is deeply political, rooted in the Sikkimese identity, dignity and autonomy.
Politics
Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang has written to Union home minister Amit Shah on the matter.
But what exactly is the state government demanding in response to the violation? Why did it not act in advance? Given that the climbing ban was imposed by the state government back in 2001, should the authorities not have been consulted before any expedition was approved? Interestingly, Sonam Lama, the Sikkim Sangha minister – elected by a unique constituency which is reserved for Buddhist monks and nuns – downplayed the issue, noting that the expedition took place from the Nepalese side.
It is unclear if the the Sikkim government fully grasps that at the heart of this issue lies the deeper question of Sikkimese autonomy. It must know that any violation here is not just cultural sacrilege but also an infringement of the special protections granted to Sikkim under Article 371F of the Indian Constitution. The state government thus faces a twofold responsibility: to safeguard the indigenous worldview of its people and to uphold the autonomy enshrined in its constitutional status.
On one hand, the Bhutia-Lepcha cosmo-vision is being undermined. On the other hand, Sikkim's political and constitutional autonomy, hard-won and historically negotiated, must be defended against external decisions that bypass the state's authority and its cultural sensibilities.
If Sikkim does not make its voice heard now, it risks losing its unique identity to India's broader and increasingly homogenised national narrative. The government must demand accountability for this violation, reaffirm the inviolability of its sacred landscapes and amplify indigenous voices before they are silenced forever.
Jiwan Rai is a social and political commentator from Sikkim. He can be reached at jiwanr@gmail.com.
The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Make a contribution to Independent Journalism
Related News
Creating a People's Biography of Rivers: Northeast's Own Digital Archive
Sikkim@50: Violence Is the New Normal
Political Rent-seeking of Armed Forces is Detrimental to Democracy
'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' Is an Operatic and Reverential, but Bloated Farewell
After Greyhound Deaths in Anti-Maoist Operation, Maoists Call for Six-Month Ceasefire, Peace Talks
How Contract Labour and Caste Inequality Undermine India's Sanitation Drive
Govt Nixes Opposition Demand for Special Session by Early Announcement of Monsoon Session Dates
Pakistan to Send Ambassador to Taliban Regime
Three Punjabi Youths Missing in Iran Rescued by Cops in Tehran
About Us
Contact Us
Support Us
© Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
127 years in vault, veil to lift on Buddhist relics
A CRYSTAL casket believed to be over 2,300 years old was found along with four other caskets at Piprahwa (ancient Kapilavastu) in Uttar Pradesh during an excavation in 1898. The fish-shaped knob of the 5 cm x 10 cm casket contains precious gems and gold leaves. Another casket, found in a stone coffer buried 18 feet under the ground, has an inscription in Brahmi script that roughly translates as: 'the casket containing the relics of Lord Buddha was donated by Sukirti brothers along with their sisters, sons and wives belonging to the Sakya clan'. For more than 127 years, several such sacred Buddhist relics from the third century BC, including the five caskets, a sandstone coffer and 221 gems and jewels, were kept in the secure vaults of the Indian Museum in Kolkata — conserved and preserved, never exposed to the public. Now, for the first time ever, the Ministry of Culture is planning an exposition of these relics of Lord Buddha that were deposited by the Sakyas, his kin, and found in a stupa belonging to Emperor Ashoka, The Indian Express has learnt. Sources said the venue is being worked out and it will most likely be held 'at a secure and appropriate venue in the national capital' to ensure a greater degree of public participation. There's a possibility that it could be held as early as next month although the dates have not been finalised yet, they said. According to records, during the January 1898 excavation at a mound in Birdpur Estate, William Claxton Peppe — son of a British estate manager — unearthed an 18-foot shaft leading to a sandstone coffer containing the relics, which also included sacred bones and ashes. Recognising the religious importance of the relics, the then Viceroy of India, Lord Elgin II, donated the sacred bones and ashes to Siamese King Rama V. However, the caskets, coffer, and associated relics were retained in India, in the custody of the Imperial Museum, which is now known as the Indian Museum, Kolkata, its Director in-charge Arijit Dutta Choudhury told The Indian Express. Recently, the Culture Ministry sent a legal notice to Sotheby's Hong Kong to stop the auction of a part of the sacred relics that were held by Peppe's family, and asked that the items be returned to India. Although the auction house stopped the auction — slated for May 7 — India's legal claim on such items is yet to yield any result. The attempted sale of the Piprahwa Buddhist relics at Sotheby's has raised global concerns as it commodified the sacred remains believed to be of Lord Buddha. For many across the globe, such relics are not artefacts but living embodiments of faith, said Khushi Kesari, Program Officer-History Lab: Community, Heritage & Material Culture, Advanced Study Institute of Asia at SGT University in Gurugram. The Sotheby's incident has significant implications for post-colonial nations like India as it underscores a wider struggle to reclaim heritage looted or exported under colonial regimes, she said. Despite being a ratified signatory of 1970 UNESCO Convention, India faces challenges, including the burden of proof and lack of bilateral treaties, to get back such relics, Kesari said. The fact that these relics are spread between private ownership and museum collections makes it difficult for India to bring them back, she said. The majority of these relics were transferred to Kolkata's Indian Museum in 1899, and are classified as 'AA' antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale. While a portion of the bone relics was gifted to the King of Siam, a selection retained by Peppé's descendants were listed for auction. Choudhury said the sacred relics and reliquaries at the Indian Museum have never been loaned or exhibited. 'The Piprahwa relics housed in the Indian Museum, Kolkata are classified as *AA* category antiquities, denoting their exceptional historical, cultural, and religious significance. Due to their unique value, these artefacts are preserved with the highest standards of care in accordance with international museum practices,' he said. Upon learning of the proposed auction at Sotheby's, the Culture Ministry had asked the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) to coordinate with its counterpart in Hong Kong to highlight the illegality of the auction and ensure compliance with international laws. In its notice to Sotheby's, the ministry had also reiterated its efforts 'to protect India's cultural heritage and ensure the repatriation of the Piprahwa Relics'. 'We call upon Sotheby's Hong Kong to immediately withdraw the relics from auction and cooperate with Indian authorities to return these sacred artifacts to their rightful place,' it said in the notice. However, experts believe that India's claim over the Piprahwa relics may be legally complicated, as they were excavated by Peppe on land allocated to him by the British colonial government. The colonial-era excavation and subsequent private ownership by Peppe's family complicate proof of illegal export, Kesari said. Also, this occurred long before India's Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 came into effect. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Agroforestry can transform rural futures
Our research paper, 'Agroforestry: the green guardian', developed as part of the 2024-25 Entente Cordiale Day Challenge held at the London School of Economics, explores how this practice can be scaled to support farmer livelihoods, sequester carbon, and regenerate ecosystems across India. Agroforestry presents a significant opportunity to protect biodiversity while contributing to climate change mitigation. It creates stable habitats for birds, pollinators, and soil organisms, while also lowering local temperatures by about one degree Celsius. In India, agroforestry could remove around 68 mega tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. Currently, India has approximately 13.75 million hectares under agroforestry, but this represents only a small fraction of its potential. Agroforestry can diversify farmer income through fruit trees, timber species, and medicinal plants, while also improving soil health, water retention, and climate resilience. However, several challenges persist. Regulatory restrictions on tree harvesting and trade pose significant challenges to agroforestry implementation. As of 2023, only 33 tree species are legally permitted for free harvesting and transportation between States, limiting farmers' ability to select species freely. High-value species such as teak and sandalwood require government permits, creating bureaucratic barriers that discourage farmers from cultivating them. Another major issue is the lack of information. Many farmers do not know which species combinations are best suited to their land or how to participate in carbon markets. Though digital tools and government incentives exist, they are often out of reach for farmers due to language, literacy, or connectivity barriers. To bridge these gaps, I have begun developing AgroConnect, a prototype digital platform designed to turn policy insights into practical support for farmers. AgroConnect aims to be a one-stop ecosystem where small and marginal farmers can make informed decisions about agroforestry and access economic incentives. Our research also examined Cameroon, where agroforestry is widely practised, though mostly informally. Local farmers have long used diverse agroforestry practices to sustain their livelihoods and protect biodiversity. However, the lack of technical support and market access has limited the impact of these practices. These insights from Cameroon reveal a shared challenge: in both countries, agroforestry's potential is not constrained by land or people, but by the systems meant to support them. This project was part of the Entente Cordiale Day Challenge 2025, a prestigious Franco-British competition held under the high patronage of President Emmanuel Macron and King Charles III. Rooted in the 120-year-old Entente Cordiale alliance, this initiative fosters collaboration between leaders of France and the U.K. Representing France, I collaborated with peers from Cameroon and France to develop this interdisciplinary proposal on the theme 'Climate change, biodiversity, and developing countries'. We came first in France and were awarded the Prix Président Loubet (President Loubet Award), the highest honour. We presented our work at the London School of Economics, and engaged in discussions at the U.K. House of Commons and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. We had the honour of presenting our solution to Salaheddine Mezouar, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Morocco and President of COP22. Our team has also been invited to present at the Élysée Palace (the official residence of the President of France) and at the U.K. House of Lords, and I am proud to share that our research paper has been officially published by the Entente Cordiale Association, further recognising its impact and feasibility. India's farmers stand at the forefront of both climate vulnerability and ecological opportunity. Agroforestry offers them a way to contribute to climate resilience while improving their long-term financial stability. However, to scale adoption, it must be supported by the right mix of policy, technology, and trust. By investing in inclusive and scalable models, we can ensure that India's path to a greener future is not only achievable, but is already underway.
Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Indian Express
Vidarbha's ‘Zudpi' scrub lands are ‘forest' lands: how SC ruling has struck a balance between development and environment concerns
After several decades of litigation over about 86,000 hectares of Zudpi jungle (shrub forest) lands peculiar to Maharashtra's eastern Vidarbha region, the Supreme Court last month ruled that such lands should be considered as 'forest' lands. On May 22, the top court provided clarity on the usage of Zudpi lands, saying they cannot be converted without prior approval from the central government, and only after complying with the conditions laid down by the court. An official report referred to by the court says Zudpi is a Marathi word that literally translates to bushes or shrubs, and Zudpi land means an inferior type of unoccupied land with bushy growth. The term was used for all wastelands that were not occupied by individual farmers for cultivation and other purposes. According to the report, Zudpi jungle lands are peculiar to six districts of eastern Vidarbha (Nagpur division) – Nagpur, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Wardha, and Gondia – and have been used for non-forest purposes for the past several decades. These lands, traditionally used for grazing, were classified as Gairan under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966. For decades, legal status uncertain Vidarbha's Zudpi lands remained in a legal limbo for decades due to administrative lapses, inconsistent government actions, and contrasting interpretations of India's forest laws. Initially vested with the Revenue Department, these lands were used for development, public amenities like schools, health centres, water pipelines, burial grounds, and for allotment to landless farmers. They were also used for infrastructure projects, including railways, defence, and irrigation. After the reorganisation of states in 1960, similar lands elsewhere in Maharashtra were recorded as Gairan or Gurcharan. However, in Vidarbha, they continued to be classified as 'Zudpi Jungle' due to bureaucratic inaction. The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (FCA) prohibited diversion of forest land without the Centre's approval. However, in November 1987, the Maharashtra government issued an order declaring Zudpi lands as 'scrub forests' that would not attract the provisions of FCA, and handed them to the Revenue Department for afforestation and grazing purposes. This 1987 Government Order was challenged by the Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG) before the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court. While this plea was pending, the Centre in February 1992 changed and relaxed its earlier position. It clarified that Zudpi Jungle would continue to be treated as 'forest lands' under the FCA; however, for the part of Zudpi lands that were used for non-forest purposes, the state government shall make a proposal to the Centre seeking its approval under the FCA. Taking a cue from the Centre's decision, the Maharashtra government in 1994 withdrew its 1987 order. With these changing positions, ambiguity prevailed until the Supreme Court's December 12, 1996 judgment in the 'TN Godavarman Thirumulpad' case, which stated that Zudpi lands would also be treated as 'forest lands' under the FCA. In 1998, a High-Powered Committee appointed by the state government recommended that 92,115 hectares should be declared protected forests and 86,409 hectares that were unfit for forest use should be de-notified. Eight years ago, the state government again pushed to denotify Zudpi jungle lands. In 2019, the Maharashtra government, through the Divisional Commissioner, Nagpur, filed an interim application and sought the SC's approval to exclude the latter category of land from the purview of FCA. The SC formed a Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which filed its first report after site visits. Since some issues were yet to be resolved, the SC last year sought another report from the CEC. This report formed the basis of the SC's May 22, 2025 verdict. GOVERNMENT: The Maharashtra government argued that Zudpi lands were never forest lands, and due to the reorganisation of states and the inaction of certain officials, the revenue records were never corrected. As such, these lands continued to be erroneously described as Zudpi lands in revenue records. The state argued that denying it relief would lead to 'grave and irreparable damage' to lakhs of citizens, and would stall several projects. INTERVENER: Environmentalist Prasad Khale, intervener in the case, however, argued that de-notifying these lands would degrade healthy forests and disrupt wildlife corridors. He submitted that the 2025 CEC report had ignored ecological concerns, including those of wildlife corridors and the protection of scrub forests, which should not be used for non-forest activities. SC directives strike a balance The Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai and Justice Augustine Masih said that it could arrive at a solution to 'balance the rights of the citizens at large on one hand and the interest of the environment on the other hand' due to the efforts made by the CEC. The SC recognised that a large number of Zudpi lands in Nagpur city alone had public utilities such as the High Court building, defence buildings, state secretariat, graveyards, etc. It said citizens residing on these lands for years, or farmers could not be deprived of their residence or livelihood. Therefore, the Supreme Court held that Zudpi jungle lands would be treated as forests, but made exceptions for lands allotted for non-forest use before December 12, 1996. For such lands, where classification (purpose) hadn't changed, the state would be required to obtain the Centre's approval under Section 2 of the FCA for their deletion from the list of forest areas. The court said the Centre shall consider proposals without imposing compensatory afforestation conditions, and should not seek deposition of Net Present Value (NPV) levies. The court directed the Centre and the state to consult and finalise a proposal format within three months with prior approval of the CEC. For post-December 12, 1996 allotments of Zudpi lands, the Centre shall process proposals only after ascertaining reasons and ensuring action against the officers who took allotment decisions in violation of the SC's directions. Special Task Forces in each district will remove encroachments made after October 25, 1980, within two years. All commercial allotments post-October 25, 1989, are to be treated as encroachments. The court clarified no land may be diverted to non-government entities after scrutiny. The Revenue Department must transfer remaining Zudpi lands to the Forest Department within a year, which are to be used for compensatory afforestation. Other Zudpi lands will not be allowed for compensatory afforestation unless certified by the Chief Secretary. Benefitting the state's development plans The verdict has in some ways paved the way for infrastructure and other development works that the state government plans to undertake on certain tracts of lands, after obtaining approval from the central government. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed the ruling, calling it a boost to Vidarbha's stalled development. The CEC will monitor the transfer of forest land, as directed by the SC. States and Union Territories have been directed to reclaim possession of such lands from occupiers and hand them over to the Forest Department. The SC had said that if reclaiming possession is not in the public interest, the state/UTs shall recover land costs from occupiers and use them to develop forests.
