Mt. Khangchendzonga ascent hurtful to indigenous communities: Sikkim CM to Amit Shah
Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has urged the Centre to ensure that Mt. Khangchendzonga, the world's third-highest peak, regarded as sacred by the people of the State, is made out of bounds for mountaineers.
In a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, the Chief Minister said the recent ascent of the peak by a five-member team from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) from the Nepal side on May 18 hurt Sikkim's indigenous communities.
India's tallest peak, at 8,568 metres above sea level, Mt. Khangchendzonga straddles the Sikkim-Nepal border and is considered one of the most difficult Himalayan mountains to ascend. Climbing activities are banned in Sikkim, where the mountain is worshipped as a guardian deity, but are allowed from the Nepal side.
The mountain was scaled for the first time in 1954 after several mountaineers made futile attempts for more than half a century, some losing their lives.
'The letter comes amid rising local sentiment that the sanctity of Mt. Khangchendzonga must not be compromised in the name of adventure or tourism, regardless of which side the expedition originates from,' Mt. Tamang wrote on May 24.
'It is with deep reverence and concern that we bring to your kind attention the recent reports regarding the scaling of Mt. Khangchendzonga from the Nepal side,' he said.
The Chief Minister said the act of scaling the 'sacred' peak by the team from NIMAS based in Arunachal Pradesh's Dirang was 'a violation of both the prevailing legal provisions and the deeply held religious beliefs of the people of Sikkim'.
Living deity
Mr. Tamang said Mt. Khangchendzonga – the name translated into 'five treasures of the high snows' – holds profound spiritual and religious significance for the people of Sikkim.
According to the Sikkimese belief system, he explained, these divine treasures remain hidden and would be revealed to the devout when the world is in grave peril.
'The mountain is revered as the abode of the principal guardian and protector-deity of Sikkim, known as Dzoe-Nga. This sacred being is worshipped as the Pho-lha, or the chief of the entire assemblage of supernatural entities of Sikkim. These deities were recognised and anointed as the guardian deities of the land by Ugyen Guru Rinpoche, also known as Guru Padmasambhava, the Patron Saint of Sikkim,' the Chief Minister said.
He pointed out that the Sikkim government banned all climbing activities on Mt. Khangchendzonga through notifications in 1998 and 2001 under the Sacred Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
Nudge Nepal
Mr. Tamang urged Mr. Shah to diplomatically dissuade the Nepal government from allowing mountaineers to scale Mt. Khangchendzonga in deference to the deeply held spiritual values of the indigenous communities of Sikkim.
Organisations such as the Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee have been pursuing a complete ban on scaling Mt. Khangchendzonga, specifically from Nepal.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Next Census to conclude by March 2027, says government
The next Census exercise, to be held after a long 16-year gap, will be finished by March 1, 2027, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Wednesday (June 4, 2025). This will be the first digital Census for India, and will include caste-based details as well. The census will be conducted in two phases by February 28, 2027, and the data will have a reference date of 12 a.m. on March 1, 2027. The government has, although, not yet notified when the exercise will begin. The notification of the Centre's intention to conduct the census, and the dates of the two phases will be 'published in the official gazette tentatively on June 16 as per provision of section 3 of the Census Act 1948.' For the Union Territory of Ladakh and the non-synchronous snow-bound areas of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date for the population count will be 12 a.m. on October 1, 2026. As per the constitutional mandate, the first census after 2026 can be used as the basis to redraw Lok Sabha constituencies. The next general election is expected to be held in 2029. India's census is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948 and the Census Rules, 1990, and will be completed in two phases: first, the house listing and housing schedule; and then, the population enumeration. Both phases usually span a period of 11 months from April 1 to February 28 the following year. This time around, caste will be enumerated in the second phase. 'A significant addition to the training manual would be the enumeration of caste. Another drop box to record the castes is likely to be added next to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) tables, the only two categories counted so far,' a senior government official said. The Hindu's Editorials The Hindu's Daily Quiz Landslide in an army camp of which State led to the death of three soldiers? Chhattisgarh Jharkhand Sikkim Mizoram To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Odisha government invites applications for V-C posts in 13 state universities
BHUBANESWAR: The Higher Education department on Wednesday set in motion the process to appoint vice-chancellors (V-Cs) to 13 public universities of the state. This effectively means, after a gap of three years, new vice-chancellors will be appointed to the state universities. With the Odisha University (Amendment) Act, 2024 coming into force, the department has invited applications from eligible academicians. The appointments are being sought for the V-C posts which are either vacant and being managed by in-charge V-Cs, or those which will be vacant in the next three to four months. The institutions include Utkal University,Ravenshaw University, Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanjadeo (MSCB) University, Gangadhar Meher University, Fakir Mohan University, Khallikote University, Shri Jagannath Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya, Rama Devi Women's University, Rajendra University, Dharanidhar University, Vikram Dev University, Madhusudan Law University, and Maa Manikeswari University. Appointment of V-Cs in public universities was stalled in May 2022 following a stay on the Odisha University (Amendment) Act, 2020 by the Supreme Court since the law formulated by the previous BJD government violated the University Grants Commission's guidelines on V-C appointment. Under the previous law, V-Cs were appointed for a period of four years or till they attained the age of 70. With the legislation stayed, when V-Cs retired, the government either extended their tenure, or allowed the posts to be managed by seniormost professor of the university or V-Cs of neighbouring universities.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta meets Gadkari, says Rs 1.25 lakh crore infra push to decongest capital
NEW DELHI: The Centre has launched a massive Rs 1.25 lakh crore infrastructure push to decongest Delhi, improve connectivity, and address traffic bottlenecks, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Wednesday following a high-level meeting chaired by Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. The Chief Minister said while projects worth Rs 64,000 crore are already complete, Rs 35,000 crore worth of works are underway, and Detailed Project Reports for projects worth another Rs 24,000 crore are ready for execution. Key initiatives include an underground tunnel from Shiv Murti to Nelson Mandela Road, an elevated road from INA to the airport with extensions to Faridabad and Gurugram, and highways connecting Delhi to Katra and Amritsar. A feasibility study is also underway for a tunnel from Sarai Kale Khan to IGI Airport.
