An Indian Army Everest expedition team that had successfully scaled the world's highest peak in May was today received in the national capital.
Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag congratulated the team for displaing grit and perseverance in achieving the arduous task, especially after last year's Nepal earthquake that had damaged traditional routes.
After the Nepal quake tragedy in April 2015, wherein the Everest expedition was curtailed midway, Army decided to relaunch the unfinished mission of summiting the Everest in the current year.
The team led by Lt Col Ranveer Singh Jamwal undertook the mission of summiting Everest that had been flagged off on March 29.
The team thereafter staged forward early, poised to exploit the earliest window in the current climbing season. Consequently, the Indian Army was the first major team to summit in a textbook style execution.
The first team to summit was led by Lt Col Jamwal, along with Sub Rinzin Dorjai, Havildar Hazari Lal, Havildar K Siva Kumar, Naik Ankur Rawat Naik Dorjay Gyalson and Naik CB Thapa, on May 19.
The second team, led by Major Mirza Zahid Baig along with Nb Sub Unnikannan APV, Havildar Arjun Kumar Thapa, Havildar Min Bahadur Tamang, Naik Min Bahadur Rana, Naik Pratap Singh and Rifleman Umesh Rai, successfully summited Everest the next day.
On May 29, five members of the team also participated in the world's highest marathon, the prestigious 42.2 km-long 'Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon', which commences from Everest Base Camp and terminates at Namche Bazar.
The entire team completed the event within the first ten in the 'Foreigners Category' by bagging the fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth positions.
The army chief said in insurgency it is always said that
people are the centre of gravity but he would like to change that.
"I would like to bring out a shift in the centre of gravity by saying it is the propaganda, which is fuelling the insurgency that needs to be the centre of gravity. Target the propaganda that is leading to the fuelling of the insurgency".
He said it is important to understand as to why local militancy is gaining ground as Kashmir has seen the time when they had terrorists coming in from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and besides from other countries.
"Now we find that some local youth have also started picking up the gun. This has got to do more with the social media and what has been happening in Middle East. A lot of propaganda has been generated by some of the unwarranted Islamic organisations who are trying to interpret Islam in a very incorrect manner with inaccuracies," he said.
Gen Rawat said this is leading to a fervour among some of the youth who are getting carried away by the messages that are coming through the social media, internet and other means that are available.
He aid some of the local youth have got drawn into this and the "adversary" is cashing in.
"This unwarranted Islamic propaganda that is going on is what has been cashed on and further spread by our adversaries across," he said.
