Kolkata, Jul 29 (PTI) A multidisciplinary team of mountaineers, scientists, and doctors is all set to embark on an expedition to the remote Tso-Moriri region in Ladakh’s Leh district with a deeply emotional mission, to symbolically name a previously unnamed Himalayan peak in memory of the RG Kar doctor who was raped and murdered in Kolkata last year.
The expedition, titled Project SEEMA (Sustainable Empowerment & Exploration in Mountainous Areas), aims to combine mountain exploration with social, scientific, and developmental initiatives. Their mission extends beyond mountaineering; the group will also undertake studies on glaciers, rivers, lakes, agriculture, and climate change in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
One of the most significant highlights of this year’s journey is the team’s decision to symbolically dedicate a 6,105-metre unnamed peak to the victim, who has come to be remembered nationwide as ‘Abhaya’- a name given by media that represents fearlessness and dignity.
“Her tragic death shook the conscience of the entire country. We wish to honour her spirit by dedicating one of these unnamed peaks to her, and hence, it will be symbolically named ‘Abhaya’,” Debasish Biswas, a senior mountaineer leading the expedition, told PTI over the phone from Leh.
The team, which will set up a base camp at Korjok Phu, comprises leading professors, researchers, climate experts, medical professionals, and social development workers from across India.
“We are focusing not just on exploration, but also on contributing meaningfully to the lives of people who live in these isolated border regions,” a statement issued by the team said.
Among the planned activities are free health check-ups for local residents and their livestock, promoting education among children, and initiating efforts toward making the region a model for sustainable and self-reliant development.
The broader vision, the group said, is to replicate this model in other remote border villages of India, contributing both to environmental resilience and national security by empowering these communities socially and economically.
The expedition comes nearly a year after the harrowing incident at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered inside the hostel premises on August 9. The case had triggered widespread outrage and led to calls for systemic reforms and better protection for healthcare workers.
“By symbolically naming a Himalayan peak after her, we hope to immortalise her memory in the heart of nature,” Biswas said.
The expedition is expected to commence shortly, with the team scheduled to attempt the ascent of the unnamed 6,105 metre peak over the next few weeks, weather permitting. PTI PNT RG
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