Climb school gives up plan to shift Tenzing statue HMI heeds Sherpa grouse

Vivek Chhetri, TT,  Darjeeling, Feb. 22: The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute has decided to drop its plan to shift the statue of Everester Tenzing Norgay Sherpa from the present location on its premises following opposition from the Sherpa community in the hills.

The plan to translocate the statue to a spot about 20 feet away from the present site had invited the wrath of the Sherpas who said Tenzing was the community's greatest hero and the move to shift the structure without informing them hurt their sentiments.

The decision to stop the statue's shift was announced at a meeting Col. Gulshan Chadha, the principal of the HMI, held with members of the Sherpa community here today. Jamling Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, an Everester and Tenzing's son, was also present at the meeting at the institute.

Chadha explained to the Sherpas the basic reasons for shifting the statue.

The reasons cited by Chadha were: The statue's rear is facing Mt Kanchenjungha and when one pays obeisance to Tenzing's cemetery (located at the institute), his/her rear faces the statue; a portion of the premises is currently sinking and it is better to do protective work before the entire campus sinks; the area's aesthetic beauty would improve if the statue is placed just beside the cemetery where Tenzing's head rests. A person would get a view of the museum, cemetery and statue at one glance if it is shifted to the proposed site.

The community members had brought along Prashant Rai, engineer of Darjeeling municipality, who opined that the present sinking zone could be protected and the zone would not pose danger to the statue at its present location. The statue was unveiled by Tenzing's "companion and friend" Sir Edmund Hillary on March 25, 1997.

After hearing out the principal, P.T. Sherpa, the vice-president of the United Sherpa Association and the general secretary of the Sherpa Buddhist Association, said: "We understand the vision of the principal of the HMI. However, our contention is that today the principal thinks that the statue should be shifted to a new location because of his vision. After his tenure, another principal might come and he, too, might have his own vision to change it to a different place. A statue of such importance and one which is emotionally attached to the hill people cannot be shifted from one place to another. Let it remain at its original place."

Colonel Chadha agreed not to shift the statue from the present site. "I have no problems in stopping the shifting process," he said.

The principal, however, said the mountaineering school also proposed to renovate and beautify Tenzing's cemetery. The Sherpas have more or less agreed to the proposal.

Jamling Tenzing said: "We have no problems with the renovation and beautification. We just want the principal to share the blueprint of the proposed renovation with us. We will discuss the matter with our community members and perhaps, we can together beautify the cemetery."

At the meeting, Chadha said: "The place where Tenzing Rock and Gombu Rock are located (on the campus) is being encroached upon. Efforts should be made to protect the area."

In response to the principal's grievance, Jamling said: "I will immediately take up the matter with the chairman of Darjeeling municipality, first thing tomorrow."

Even though the statue will not be shifted, the HMI proposes to set up a new statue of Tenzing at the proposed site.