Towering tribute to Mamata Banerjee

When Elizabeth II was being crowned in London in 1953, the celebrations received an extra boost with the news arriving in London that Mt Everest had been conquered, with Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa becoming the first men to stride to its 8,848-metre summit. In an almost parallel situation, as feisty Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee took the oath of office and became the first woman chief minister of West Bengal, the mighty Himalayas bestowed gifts galore on her with four climbers from West Bengal conquering the towering peaks and enhancing the image of her state. Two men from Joypurbil in West Bengal's Howrah district made the state proud yesterday by ascending Mt Everest as an individual initiative. Rajib Bhattacharya, a 38-year-old small-time businessman from Howrah, walked tall as he stood on the world's highest peak at 9.55am, accompanied by his mountain guide Phurbu Sherpa from Nepal. About two hours later, his travelling and mountaineering friend Dipankar Ghosh, 46, also reached the summit with his Sherpa guide Kama Sherpa, said Loben Sherpa of Loben Expeditions. The number 13 proved lucky for the two Howrah heroes who are part of a 13-member expedition that also includes climbers from Australia, Japan, Brazil, Denmark and Sweden. from / Gulf News