Tenzing: a hero fallen into oblivion
This article was published in Nepal Travel Trade Reporter in 2003.
The Mount Everest Golden Jubilee Celebration has brought my memory alive of funeral of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, one of the heroes of 1953 British Expedition which put two unknown persons on the top of the Everest for the first time in the history of human civilization and made them legend overnight. The news of Tenzing's death on May 9, 1986 spread like wild fire in Darjeeling making everybody gloomy and sad. As a student, I had seen Tenzing many times on his way to HMI. On the funeral day, it was lightly raining and Darjeeling was on the verge of Gorkhaland agitation. With an utmost zest to pay last homage to mountain hero, I joined the procession from Chawrasta which ended at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute(HMI), of which he was first director despite of my final examination of B.A. round the corner. Among the large number of people gathered inside the premises of HMI, the most prominent was Sir Edmund Hillary, then the Ambassador of New Zealand to India and Nepal and the one who accompanied Tenzing on their first ascent on the Everest. As the procession emerged, I saw the crew of Doordharson, India's national television on the top of a building enclosing the cremation site capturing the most precious moment in the history of mountaineering- end of an era. Tearfully, I returned with heavy heart biding final farewell to the legend of 20the century who created his own history vis-à-vis Sherpas.
That was 17 years ago. After his death, a 78 kilometre long road that links Darjeeling with the plain of Siliguri had been changed from Hill Cart Road to Tenzing Norgay Road and a bus park in Siliguri was named after Tenzing. Similarly, a statute of Tenzing was installed inside HMI premises in his honour. To honour this hero, the government of India just before the Mount Everest Golden Jubilee Celebration starts in Kathmandu has named a street after Tenzing. Alas! We, however, have failed to honour this hero in any sort of manner that befits his stature. We have so many streets in Kathmandu which are named after unknown person of a small tole( community) but the Kathmandu Metropolis did not bother to name an important street after Tenzing. The person who virtually brought Nepal and its Himalaya into the mainstream tourism map has fallen into oblivion. It seems quite contradictory that when India claims that Tenzing is an Indian, we don't lag behind protesting it vehemently saying that he is Nepali because he was from Khumbu region. But when it comes to recognise his contribution, we blindfolds ourselves as if Tenzing has never been existed for us. Even when we were rejoicing 50th anniversary of his success on Everest, we had nothing to honour his feast except putting garlands on his son and grandson. Would not be an honour if a long road that links important town or famous street of Kathmandu named after him? Or, it would be more appropriate if the Mountain Museum of Pokhara was renamed as Tenzing Mountain Museum.
It is a bitter fact that he stayed back in Darjeeling after his conquest of Everest. In the meantime, it is also fact that The Statesmen, a leading newspaper of India came forward to help him building his house though he returned money back to The Statesmen thinking that it was against his Sherpa ethic. His daughters and sons received the best education available in India. But it doesn't mean that he was not a Nepali. He stayed back in Darjeeling for better future of his family as he had already seen his life back in Khumbu region. Readymade offer made by India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to spearhead HMI was too good for him to decline. It is still mystery whether he was offered any job or facility from Nepal's government to lead a decent life. Tenzing was not an exception to go to India or abroad for better opportunity. It is a big shame for all of us to ostracize Tenzing just because he chose to live in Darjeeling instead of Kathmandu. What would happen to us if it was not Tenzing but some other member of British Expedition climbed the Everest with Hillary. We celebrated 50th Anniversary of ascent on Mt. Everest in Nepal not only because we have Mount Everest but because it was climbed by our own Tenzing Sherpa. Hillary came here because it was home of Tenzing Sherpa and his many other Sherpa friends. It is a responsibility of all Nepalis to recognise the contribution of Tenzing and give him due respect from both government and private level so that future generation will understand that Tenzing belongs to Nepal, not India.
The Mount Everest Golden Jubilee Celebration has brought my memory alive of funeral of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, one of the heroes of 1953 British Expedition which put two unknown persons on the top of the Everest for the first time in the history of human civilization and made them legend overnight. The news of Tenzing's death on May 9, 1986 spread like wild fire in Darjeeling making everybody gloomy and sad. As a student, I had seen Tenzing many times on his way to HMI. On the funeral day, it was lightly raining and Darjeeling was on the verge of Gorkhaland agitation. With an utmost zest to pay last homage to mountain hero, I joined the procession from Chawrasta which ended at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute(HMI), of which he was first director despite of my final examination of B.A. round the corner. Among the large number of people gathered inside the premises of HMI, the most prominent was Sir Edmund Hillary, then the Ambassador of New Zealand to India and Nepal and the one who accompanied Tenzing on their first ascent on the Everest. As the procession emerged, I saw the crew of Doordharson, India's national television on the top of a building enclosing the cremation site capturing the most precious moment in the history of mountaineering- end of an era. Tearfully, I returned with heavy heart biding final farewell to the legend of 20the century who created his own history vis-à-vis Sherpas.
That was 17 years ago. After his death, a 78 kilometre long road that links Darjeeling with the plain of Siliguri had been changed from Hill Cart Road to Tenzing Norgay Road and a bus park in Siliguri was named after Tenzing. Similarly, a statute of Tenzing was installed inside HMI premises in his honour. To honour this hero, the government of India just before the Mount Everest Golden Jubilee Celebration starts in Kathmandu has named a street after Tenzing. Alas! We, however, have failed to honour this hero in any sort of manner that befits his stature. We have so many streets in Kathmandu which are named after unknown person of a small tole( community) but the Kathmandu Metropolis did not bother to name an important street after Tenzing. The person who virtually brought Nepal and its Himalaya into the mainstream tourism map has fallen into oblivion. It seems quite contradictory that when India claims that Tenzing is an Indian, we don't lag behind protesting it vehemently saying that he is Nepali because he was from Khumbu region. But when it comes to recognise his contribution, we blindfolds ourselves as if Tenzing has never been existed for us. Even when we were rejoicing 50th anniversary of his success on Everest, we had nothing to honour his feast except putting garlands on his son and grandson. Would not be an honour if a long road that links important town or famous street of Kathmandu named after him? Or, it would be more appropriate if the Mountain Museum of Pokhara was renamed as Tenzing Mountain Museum.
It is a bitter fact that he stayed back in Darjeeling after his conquest of Everest. In the meantime, it is also fact that The Statesmen, a leading newspaper of India came forward to help him building his house though he returned money back to The Statesmen thinking that it was against his Sherpa ethic. His daughters and sons received the best education available in India. But it doesn't mean that he was not a Nepali. He stayed back in Darjeeling for better future of his family as he had already seen his life back in Khumbu region. Readymade offer made by India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to spearhead HMI was too good for him to decline. It is still mystery whether he was offered any job or facility from Nepal's government to lead a decent life. Tenzing was not an exception to go to India or abroad for better opportunity. It is a big shame for all of us to ostracize Tenzing just because he chose to live in Darjeeling instead of Kathmandu. What would happen to us if it was not Tenzing but some other member of British Expedition climbed the Everest with Hillary. We celebrated 50th Anniversary of ascent on Mt. Everest in Nepal not only because we have Mount Everest but because it was climbed by our own Tenzing Sherpa. Hillary came here because it was home of Tenzing Sherpa and his many other Sherpa friends. It is a responsibility of all Nepalis to recognise the contribution of Tenzing and give him due respect from both government and private level so that future generation will understand that Tenzing belongs to Nepal, not India.
posted by Sarad @ 6:28 AM
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