Now Reading: India to bring home Green Boots body from Everest after 30 years
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India to bring home Green Boots body from Everest after 30 years
India is preparing a high-altitude mission to retrieve the body of Dorje Morup, an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) soldier who died on Mount Everest in 1996. His remains, known as 'Green Boots'…
The Story in Brief
India is preparing a high-altitude mission to retrieve the body of Dorje Morup, an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) soldier who died on Mount Everest in 1996. His remains, known as 'Green Boots' due to bright green footwear, have lain at about 8,500 metres on the northern route. The ITBP plans to recover the body by September and conduct DNA testing to confirm identity.
Morup was part of a six-member ITBP team attempting the first Indian ascent of Everest from the Chinese side. After summitting, a blizzard killed all three climbers. For years the body was mistaken for teammate Tsewang Paljor. Surviving expedition accounts and recovered equipment led authorities to Morup. His wife, now 75, has never fully accepted his death. Recovery will cost an estimated $40,000 to $80,000 and require a specialist team.
The Indian Opinion
This mission is being framed as a long-overdue act of honour, but the hard part remains. Retrieving a body from the death zone is extraordinarily dangerous and expensive, and dozens of other families never saw their loved ones returned. The real test will be whether ITBP can actually bring Morup down without adding more casualties. If it succeeds, will the government do the same for others, or is this just a one-off gesture for a uniformed soldier?
Sources (2): livemint.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
