Mukherjee flags off first northeast expedition to Mt. Everest
New Delhi, Mar. 20 : President Pranab Mukherjee flagged off the first northeast expedition to Mount Everest by handing over the expedition flag to the leader of the Expedition Team, Dr. L. Surjit Singh, at a function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, President Mukherjee said that this expedition is important not only because it seeks to scale Mt. Everest, the highest in the world, but because it symbolises mankind's indomitable sprit to fight against all odds.
This northeast expedition to Mt. Everest is organized by Government of Manipur through the Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association. It is sponsored by the North Eastern Council, Shillong.
The expedition team includes Anshu Jamsenpa, the first lady from Arunachal Pradesh, who has already scaled Mt. Everest twice, and. N. Chinkheinganba, a 16-year-old boy who on completion of the expedition will be the youngest to scale the Mt. Everest.
The main objective of the northeast Mount Everest expedition is to share the experiences of adventure- sports among the youth and foster in them endurance, a spirit of risk taking, co-operative team work and the capacity of ready and vital response to challenging situations.