Indian Team Scales 20,942 ft Arunachal Peak, Names It After Dalai Lama; China Reacts

Sep 27, 2024, 04:51 AM

A 15-member team from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) successfully scaled a previously unclimbed and technically difficult 20,942 ft peak in the Gorichen range of Arunachal Pradesh. The peak has been named 'Tsangyang Gyatso Peak' in honor of the 6th Dalai Lama, who was born near Tawang. This move has sparked a strong reaction from China, which claims the region as part of southern Tibet. Beijing has criticized the naming as an illegal operation in what it considers Chinese territory. The climb, led by Col Ranveer Singh Jamwal, was lauded by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu. The naming is seen as a subtle twin-messaging to the global Buddhist community and to China.