Kanchenjunga open for expedition, but here’s why Sikkim is worried

Gangtok: Sikkim’s ‘holy peak’ Mt Kanchenjunga — worshiped by the locals for centuries — is now among the 137 mountain peaks of the country which have been declared open for expedition by the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA).

While the announcement has put the third highest mountain in the world on the global map, the news has clearly questioned the sentiments of the Sikkimese people and shaken the local organisations and stakeholders in the state. The reason — they unanimously stand together in not accepting the notification and reaching out to the state government to maintain the sacredness of the peak.

Kanchenjunga, also spelled Khangchendzonga and Kangchenjunga, was first climbed on May 25, 1955 by Joe Brown and George Band, who were part of a British expedition. They stopped short of the summit in accordance with the promise given to the ‘Chogyal’ that the top of the mountain would remain intact. Every climber or climbing group that has reached the summit has followed this tradition.