Mountaineers and representatives of adventure clubs in north Bengal renewed the demand that India’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna be conferred on Tenzing Norgay as the world celebrated on Wednesday the 71st anniversary of the first summit of Mt. Everest.

On May 29, 1953, Tenzing and Edmund Hillary became the first humans to reach the summit of the world’s tallest peak.

“Tenzing Norgay is a national hero. For years, we have been demanding
that he be honoured with Bharat Ratna posthumously for his feat which brought glory to the country. The central government should consider the demand,” said Animesh Bose, the programme coordinator of Himalayan
Nature & Adventure Foundation, a Siliguri-based adventure club.

Bhaskar Das, a mountaineer, sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday seeking Bharat Ratna for Tenzing.