KATHMANDU, AUGUST 31
Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, has praised the Sherpa community as the true guardians of the Himalayas.
Speaking at a program organized by the Nepal Mountain Academy on Friday, Minister Pandey emphasized that just as the world recognizes the bravery of the Gurkhas, the Sherpas are the courageous people who have made Mount Everest famous.
"Every society and country has its own unique culture. Just as we are proud of the brave Gurkhas, the Sherpas who climb and help others climb the Himalayas are our pride. Our brave Sherpas have put the Himalayas on the international map," Minister Pandey stated.
He further highlighted the importance of Nepal's customs and culture, noting that if Nepal loses these, it will lose its identity.
Minister Pandey also called for the development of the Mountain Academy into an international educational hub. "It should now become an international university. I am confident that in the coming days, its scope will expand to include students not just from Solukhumbu and the surrounding areas but from all over the world," he said. Minister Pandey also assured that there would be no merger between the Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM) and the Mountain Academy.
Speaking on the occasion, record-holding climber Mingma Sherpa from Seven Summit Treks said that the government should recognise Sherpas' contribution to Nepal's tourism development.
Chief at the Nepal Mountain Academy Ongdi Sherpa said that academy was working for the betterment of Nepal's mountaineering sector.
The program also honored several notable figures, including former ministers Bal Bahadur KC and Shankar Prasad Koirala, former chairmen Shankar Prasad Pandey and Prem Kumar Shrestha, as well as Santosh Thapa Magar and Lakpa Futi Sherpa.
Additionally, the event saw the release of a journal and the "Voice of the Himalayas," a research publication by students of the Mountain Academy.
