It was a proud moment for Mussoorie Mountain Festival (Woodstock School) when Tine Mena, the first Arunachali and Northeast Indian woman to climb Mt Everest was honoured recently.
Also read: Northeast’s first woman Everester Tine’s story now in children’s book
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The occasion also marked the book launch of ‘Tine and the faraway mountain’ a children’s book written on Tine’s journey by Shikha Tripathi and published by Pratham Books.
Speaking to the students, Tine reminisced her journey of the time when she cut her hair and disguised as a boy to enroll as a porter for the Indian army.
She was caught a week later but her sheer strength and ability to carry as much weight as the boys and lead them through uphill path made the army reconsider their stance on not allowing women as porters in their expeditions.
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Talking to the students in her simple Hindi, Tine said, “Never run after money. Run after your dreams. Money will be of no use when you die. But your achievements will stay long after you have left the earth. Everyone will remember Tine, the girl from a small village called Echali, who dared to climb the highest mountain in the world.”
Tine attended the festival with her husband, Pronov and nine-month-old son, Iniyo. Every year, The Mussoorie Mountain Festival recognizes mountain people, who have faced great odds to bring change in their community and dared to live their dreams.
This time, Tine was honoured for her indomitable spirit and will to climb the highest mountain in the world against all odds.