While a month has elapsed to the death of Dhenkanal-born international mountaineer, Kalpana Dash, who died at the balcony area of Mount Everest during her return after successfully posting the Indian national flag at a 8,848-metre high, unfortunately, the State Government seems to have turned its back to Dash’s bereaved family.
The callousness of the authorities is loud and clear, given the fact that the State Government has not hesitated to spend crores of rupees to promote hockey and nationally and internationally reputed athletes.
Dash had brought glory to the State for being the first woman mountaineer to have scaled the Everest for the first time on April 21, 2008 only at age of 39. Late Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, who was well-known as the chief adviser of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, had told in a public meeting here during the Dhenkanal Mahotsav as to why the Government should ignore the talent of Dash by just engaging her with a job. Rather, the Government would open a mountaineering academy and appoint her as its head to train the aspirants, he promised.
The assurance of Mohapatra has fallen flat because so far the Government has not shown an iota of sincerity in promoting Dash’s legacy or mountaineering in the State.
When neglected much, ultimately, Dash had to stage a dharna at Puri Bada Danda for Government help; and on media pressure, the district administration of Dhenkanal had arranged a job for her at a private power generation company, LANCO. But soon, she had to lose her job as the plant was closed within a few months of functioning.
Dash, who had started mountaineering from a village mountain, Banka Mundi, since her childhood to worship Goddess Maheswary, the temple endowed by her father late Gunanidhi Dash, she developed a passion for mountaineering later. However, when the family members shifted from her native village Saria Pada of Odapada block to Kanchan Bazar Dhenkanal, Dash focused on mountaineering and since then never looked back.
She completed graduation from the Dhenkanal Women’s College and LLB from the Dhenkanal Law College. She used to climb Paniahala hill and Kapilash hill ranges in Dhenkanal. Later, she availed training from the Himalaya Mountain Institute of Darjiling. She learned Odishi dance from Nataraj, as it was required during Campfire, at the training institute.
Apart from Mount Everest, she scaled Mount Satnam in 2003. Killimanjor of South Africa on October 9, 2014, Akambua Mountain of South America on January, 2015, Elbush Mountain of Europe on July 15 and Koksiujko Mountain of Australia during the same year.
This time, Dash had scaled Everest on May 18, wearing a saree, donated by Odisha Governor Dr Ganeshi Lal.
She reached the top of the Mount Everest for the second time on May 23 at about 12 noon, but unfortunately while returning, she died on her way at the age of 49, spreading shock and gloom all across State.
The State Government though had done nothing when she was alive, it agreed to spend money to bring her body from Mount Everest and finally, Dash's body reached her home town Dhenkanal after 12 days of her death. Her family members could not perform any death rites as the time was over.
Meanwhile, the Alternative Rhythm Theatre staged a play entitled 'Kalpana, the wonder' as a lasting tribute to the mountaineer.