Record-setter mountaineer Savita Kanswal among those killed in Uttarakhand avalanche
Uttarkashi (U'Khand)(PTI): Ace mountaineer Savita Kanswal, who had set a national record by climbing Mount Everest and Mount Makalu within a span of 15 days, was among those killed in the avalanche at Draupadi ka Danda-II in Uttarkashi district.
The principal of the Uttarkashi-based Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) Col Amit Bisht confirmed her death on Wednesday. Her body is among the four bodies retrieved so far.
A 41-member team of mountaineers was returning after climbing the peak when they were hit by the avalanche on Tuesday.
Kanswal worked as an instructor at NIM and accompanied the team of trainee climbers to Draupadi Ka Danda-II.
As the news of her demise broke, there was an outpouring of grief in her Lonthru village in the district.
Kanswal had set a national record by climbing Mount Everest and Mount Makalu within a span of 15 days earlier this year.
She had quickly carved a niche for herself in the world of mountaineering despite being relatively new to the field, Col Bisht said.
Kanswal had done her basic, advanced, search and rescue, and mountaineering instructor's courses from the NIM in 2013 and had been working as an instructor at the institute since 2018.
Col Bisht said Kanswal was one of the best instructors at the institute.
Born to Radheshyam Kanswal and Kamleshwari Devi, she was the youngest of four sisters.
Kanswal, who had humble origins, was ambitious and had the courage and resolve to fulfil her dreams, Col Bisht added.
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Niqab incident: Nitish Kumar perhaps revealing his true colours, says J-K CM
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.
"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.
"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.
"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.
