There
could be so many reasons why someone climbs Mt. Everest. Since the Mt. Everest
was identified as the world’s highest Mountain, series of Everest expedition
has been conducted. Climbing Mt. Everest is obviously going to get lot of
attention, something as huge as climbing Mt. Everest. Going to Mt. Everest is a
sporting challenge incorporating month of tough physical training and a variety
of warm up climbs, intended to gain further experience and test the capability
of body at extreme high altitude. Before the summit of Mt. Everest, a well
organized team needs to go for pre-training like Island Peak (Imja Tse 6160m) with
the duration of Fifteen to Twenty days and then climbing team need to spend
almost two months on the Mt. Everest acclimatizing as much as possible to the
extreme altitude for the successful summit. The reduce levels of availability
oxygen on Mt. Everest especially above 8,000m cause a major physiological and
psychological demand on the body. This demand along with the adverse weather
conditions, high level of physical risk, disrupted sleep and loss of appetite
all add to the shear extent of this challenge. The team needs to be strong,
well trained and confident to achieve success of standing on top of the world.
As
we know that, not everyone is capable of doing such thing which takes a lot of
hard work and training to get to the point, more than 3,755 climbers have
submitted Mt. Everest among them half were Nepalese but none of them were
Dalit. Considering the fact, few Dalit Youth and Dalit sister organization of
political parties have decided to focus their energy to empower Dalit by going
to Mt. Everest and through other means of activities. The vast extent of the
fundamental problem of social exclusion and its associated poverty, health and
civil justice factors much more need to be done. Climbing Mount Everest is not
only a personal challenge for the team but one that could help make a
difference to other people through raising awareness against all sort of
discrimination face by Dalit community.
The
issue of caste-based discrimination against Dalits is of great
importance in the 21st century, and remains one of the last customary
bastions of discrimination, resulting in a mixture of both short term
atrocities and long term effects on levels of education, health and access to
employment. The expedition will sensitized nationally and internationally that
cast base discrimination is still prevailing in Nepal which should be jointly uprooted
through the support of national and international hand. Nepal has ratified or
acceded to a number of applicable international human rights treaties,
including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination (ICERD). The International Convention on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Nepal is obligated under the ICESCR to guarantee
economic, social and cultural rights, without discrimination
against Dalits, and take steps toward the realization of such rights.
In addition, Dalits have the right to freely choose or accept
work, that remuneration for such work should be without distinction of any
kind, and that they must be able to exercise the right to enjoy the
highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
The successful
summit to Mt. Everest likely to stick for forever in history as a pioneering
work from Dalit community so, the Mt. Everest expedition project was lunch in
2011/12 with the technical support of Climbers’ Club Nepal with the title of
“First Dalit Sagarmatha (Everest) Expedition-2011/12”. The climbing team had conducted month of
indoor wall climbing training and outdoor climbing and able to allocate Rs 2,
00, 00,000 budget from the Government of Nepal but expedition ended without
conclusion due to the unexpected death of team leader Da Gombua Sherpa,
President of Climbers’ club Nepal, insufficient allocated budget for the
inclusive 11 Dalit team member and lengthy bureaucratic process of Government
of Nepal
The
team has decided to re-unite again with the new title of “First Dalit
Empowerment Mt. Everest Expedition- 2014”, focusing on empowering Dalit
community by going to Mt. Everest and through other means of activities. The
vast extent of the fundamental problem of social exclusion and its associated
poverty, health and civil justice factors much more need to be done. Climbing
Mount Everest is not only team’s challenge but one that could help make a
difference to other people through raising awareness against all sort of
discrimination face by Dalit community.
As one of leading member of expedition team, I
have experience that an Everest
expedition is a big financial commitment and it is far beyond personal capacity
to bear the cost. There is high cost involved for the expedition because of
expensive equipments and gears, requirement of pre-training peak climbing, and
consultancy of highly skilled mountain expedition professionals. Raising fund
of eight digit figures is not less than conquering Mt. Everest, in any case of support/donation/sponsor
cannot be considered as charity, but a right from a government that promoted
the private sector at the cost of public sector. Obviously, over a period of
time these physical benefits have instilled some confidence in Dalits. The
political empowerment is not enough to occupy the positions of power at all
levels. Constitutional provision alone cannot bring any behavioral changes in
the society or strong speeches by political leaders. Some action oriented plans
and programs are urgently required to suit the demand of the Dalit. The Dalit
Empowerment means to inclusion of Dalits community in socio-economic and
political process on the basis of its population and to up root the cause of
poverty. Opportunity is needed to uplift the religiously, economically and
socially marginalized Dalit groups; despite of that training like personality
development, leadership skills, social and political education, and a
space for self-reflection and growth is needed. It is possible only
through the support of stakeholder of state like bilateral agency, INGO/NGO,
Civil Society Political Parties and Media partners.
The main
intention of the Mt. Everest Expedition is to psychologically empower Dalits
community who were disempowered from times immemorial, successful expedition
will encourage upcoming generation to be psychologically strong so they can
perform any act if opportunity is provided . The expedition will help to create
environment favorable to Dalit Community to enjoy the equal rights,
self-esteem, service and privileges as equal as other social group are in
mountaineering sector. The expedition will be doorway to access to information
in mountaineering sector and it will enable to attract more Dalit mountaineer
both as a professional and as a hobby from Nepal and South Asian country where caste
base discrimination is still prevailing. The expedition will make the mile
stone of social inclusion in mountaineering field. It will also provide
personality development, leadership skill, mountaineering education and a space
for self-reflection and growth. The Everest expedition will further encourage
Dalits community to participate in education, sport, politics and other field.
Expedition team will sensitize awareness program on the importance of
maintaining the mountain environment, climate change and mountaineering waste
management targeting to the mountaineering and adventure sports industry. The
team is not only representing Dalit of Nepal, it is for the whole marginalized
community around the world who were discriminated on the basis of caste and
color. The team will continue with the theme of “Unity in Diversity”, “Social
Inclusion” development, progress and peace building of nation.
By Giri Bahadur Sunar
The
author is a sociologist and member of Everest expedition team, can be reached
at
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