'Yudh Nashian Virudh': Punjab Police officer hoists campaign banner at Himalayan summit

Manali, July 22

Braving extreme high-altitude conditions, crevassed glaciers, and steep snowfields, the summit involved a gruelling 1,500-metre vertical elevation gain in a single day, a challenge that tested physical endurance, technical precision, and mental resilience.

At the summit, Kaler told IANS over phone on Tuesday that he unfurled the Indian national flag, along with a banner symbolising a vital social message, the joint initiative of Punjab Police and Punjab’s Department of Health and Family Welfare in their collaborative fight against drug abuse.

The campaign, “Yudh Nashian Virudh”, is aimed at raising mass awareness and empowering communities to build a drug-free Punjab.

“This summit was more than just a personal milestone. It was a symbolic message that we will continue to take the fight against drugs to every height, be it in society or in spirit,” said Kaler. “The Tricolour and the campaign banner at 6,000 metres reflect our commitment to a drug-free Punjab.”

The climb was carried out with technical and safety support from the expert instructors of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) in Manali, under the overall supervision of Director Avinash Negi.

He said the team of instructors, comprising Ludar Singh, Desh Raj, Bhag Singh, Dina Nath, Bhuvi and Frady, played a pivotal role in route planning, rope fixing, safety briefings, and high-altitude navigation that ensured a successful and safe ascent.

While a larger team of climbers was part of the expedition group, the summit photograph captured a core team of six mountaineers standing atop Shinkun East, proudly holding the tricolour and the campaign banner, sending a message of resolve, unity, and hope from one of the highest summits in India.

According to Kaler, this achievement reflects the spirit of Punjab Police officers who go beyond the call of duty -- not only safeguarding society on the ground, but also raising their voice from the highest altitudes, for a cause that affects every home and every heart.

In 2023, Kaler scaled and unfurled the Tricolour on the top of Mount Elbrus -- the highest and most prominent peak in Russia and Europe.

Kaler, a professionally-trained mountaineer, was adjudged the best mountaineer during his Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) at Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.

His feat is noteworthy considering that the Caucasus’ tallest mountain, Mount Elbrus, is 5,642 metres (18,510 feet) above sea level.

With the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to eradicate the drug menace from the state completed 142 days on Monday, Punjab Police, during the campaign, arrested 22,854 drug smugglers.

— IANS