Sikkim BJP Welcomes Centre's Decision To Revoke Opening of "Holy" Kanchenjunga For Foreigners

The Centre revoked its call to open the Kanchenjunga mountain peaks in Sikkim for mountaineering and trekking expeditions. The third highest mountain within the world, Kanchenjunga (8,598m) is adorned in Sikkim and therefore the previous announcement had been available as a rude shock to the indigenous community of the state.

Soon after Centre's announcement to open the peak for foreign hikers, native organisations and stakeholders had approached the regime with requests to preserve the quality of the holy mountains.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), during a recent order, declared its call, "with the approval of the competent authority", to delete fourteen peaks placed within the state from the list of 137 peaks in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim that might be receptive foreigners athirst of getting Mountaineering Visa for climbing or trekking.

According to the circular issued last month, twenty four mountain peaks in Sikkim were enclosed within the list of 137 peaks. The new order currently ensures that the holy Kanchenjunga and Kanchenjunga South (8474m) wouldn't be opened to foreigners for any expedition.

The Sikkim unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) thanked the Centre for the choice to revoke the order.

"On behalf of 10 BJP MLAs and therefore the individuals of Sikkim, we thank the MHA, Governor of Sikkim, BJP General Secretary Ram Mahadev and entire PM Modi-led government for deleting Kanchendzonga and different sacred peaks from the list of peaks opened for mount and trekking," aforesaid BJP state president DB Chauhan.

Earlier, Everester Kunzang Gyatso, who is additionally the president of the Sikkim mount Association (SMA), aforesaid mountaineers who would like to climb the Kanchenjunga can do it from the Nepal side without hurting secular sentiments of the locals.

"Religion may be a priority in several places and being a mountaineer, I feel that the means we tend to challenge nature, we should additionally respect it. Sikkim has been built with the blessings of the mountain gods. If you wish to climb the Kanchenjunga, you can do it from the Nepal Side. In Sikkim, in line with non secular beliefs, we leave a niche of 10m from the top for any peak, which becomes our summit," aforesaid Gyatso, who scaled the mountain peak in 2008.

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