Everester Subhas Pal's body reaches home

KOLKATA: The body of Everester Subhas Pal finally arrived in Kolkata on Tuesday evening, more than a week after he died during the descent.

Pal became the first mountaineer from Jangalmahal to have successfully summited Mt Everest. All doubts about his achievement were removed on Tuesday after photographs of him unfurling the tricolour on the summit were released. The photographs, probably clicked by a Sherpa, were recovered from Pal's camera.

Hundreds of people waited to pay homage to Pal, when his body was wheeled out of the cargo section of the Kolkata airport around 7pm on Tuesday. A driver by profession, Pal was also founder member and instructor of Bankura Exploration Nature Academy (BENA). He had first attempted to scale Mt Everest in 2014 but failed due to an avalanche at the Khumbu icefall. In 2015, the Nepal earthquake shattered his dreams but this year he fulfilled it by scaling the highest peak in the world.

Pal's elder brother Pronab accompanied the body to Kolkata to Bankura. "We received information about his death on May 23 from Lakta Sherpa. It took nearly seven days to bring down his body from Lukla," he said.

BENA trainee and an electrical engineer Kaustav Chakraborty said, "Pal started off as a PT trainer for nursing staff of Bankura Sammilani Medical College till he set up the academy. He would train us and take us for treks to nearby hills. We also learnt climbing. He always said that mountaineering teaches us to help others. I had never expected to see the day when we would be waiting for his body."

Among those present at the airport were ministers Arup Biswas and Lakshmi Ratan Shukla. "We held a meeting recently to set up a committee that will evaluate whether a person is fit and trained enough to attempt the climb. We have requested authorities in Nepal not to allow people to climb without clearance from the committee," Biswas said.

Pal was given a guard of honour at his hometown Bankura in the presence of SP Neelkanth Sudhir Kumar. Pal had received Rs 4 lakh as financial assistance from the Bankura Police before the climb. While the Bankura Zilla Parishad has assured that it will take care of Pal's daughter's education, his family will still have to repay Rs 17.5 lakh that the mountaineer borrowed. His family had already sold off land to meet expedition expenses. Pal's widow Shanti has prayed to chief minister Mamata Banerjee for financial assistance.