KATHMANDU: Tensions between Nepal and India may intensify following a recent summit of Mount Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest peak, which both countries claim as part of their territory.
The mountain, which stands at 8,586 meters, is located in Nepal’s Taplejung district. However, Indian authorities have long asserted that it lies within the Indian state of Sikkim.
The latest controversy erupted after an Indian team led by Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), based in Arunachal Pradesh, scaled Kanchenjunga via the Nepali route under the “Har Shikhar Tiranga” campaign.
The ascent has drawn strong backlash in Sikkim. The Bhutia and Lepcha communities, who regard Kanchenjunga as sacred, have condemned the climb. The Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) denounced the expedition and called for the protection of Sikkim’s cultural heritage.
Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (P.S. Golay) has written to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the central government to intervene. In his letter, Golay has indirectly requested that Nepal be pressured to halt future ascents of Kanchenjunga.
Sikkim has prohibited climbing Kanchenjunga from its side since 2001 under the 1991 Places of Worship Act, citing the mountain’s spiritual significance.
Golay’s letter states, “We humbly urge the Hon’ble Minister to kindly take up this matter with the Government of Nepal to ensure that future climbs of this sacred mountain are avoided in accordance with the sentiments and cultural values of the people of Sikkim.”
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