Reds set to rule world roost in 2007
Mar 5, 2007 - 9:49:43 AM
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A photograph of Nepal's King Gyanendra, currently facing the abolition of his crown due to his growing unpopularity, was also placed on the summit.
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By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
[RxPG] Kathmandu, March 5 - The communist dream of dominating the world could come true in May, literally. With the climbing season about to begin in the Himalayas, efforts are on to take Chinese leader Mao Zedong's legacy to the highest point on earth, the summit of Mt Everest.
For almost five decades, Vladimir Lenin, one of the pioneers of the communist movement, has been ruling the roost in the Poles. In December 1958, the Soviets led a successful expedition to the Pole of Inaccessibility, the remotest point in Antarctica.
The Antarctic Expedition for International Geophysical Year, aided by massive tracked vehicles, was the first to reach the point and celebrated its triumph by building a shed with Lenin's bust on the roof.
Nearly five decades later, the shed with the bust of the communist leader is still there as a landmark and historical site.
Now another famed point - the 8,848-metre summit of Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world - could see the communist flag hoisted on it in May, the traditional time climbers scale the peak.
Two expeditions from Nepal will be carrying the red flag of the Communist Party of Nepal - to plant on the peak if they are successful.
About a week ago, Nepali climber Pem Sherpa, who is eyeing the peak this summer, met Maoist leader Prachanda in Kathmandu and had him autograph the party flag. Sherpa will be carrying the flag with him during his ascent.
A second Nepali expedition, calling itself the Democratic Everest Expedition, will see six mountaineers, including legendary Everesteer Ang Rita Sherpa, attempting the peak. Ang Rita holds the record of having reached the peak 10 times without using bottled oxygen.
The Democratic Everest Expedition will be carrying the Maoist flag as well as flags of the seven-party ruling alliance.
With the ruling coalition including three communist parties, there will be four red flags hoisted on the summit by the team.
The first flags to fly on Mt Everest were those of India, Nepal and New Zealand in 1953 when New Zealand beekeeper Sir Edmund Hillary and Indian high altitude guide and porter Tenzing Norgay Sherpa became the first men to conquer the peak.
Since then, besides the flags of their own countries, climbers have also planted rosaries, images of the Buddha and other sacred memorabilia.
A photograph of Nepal's King Gyanendra, currently facing the abolition of his crown due to his growing unpopularity, was also placed on the summit.
However, most of the mementos now lie buried under mounds of snow.
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