This mountain belongs to whom?

.Tensions Over Mountains

• Spiritual beliefs over mountains have resurged, with mountain ecosystems becoming increasingly vulnerable due to climate change effects.

• Indigenous communities’ knowledge and stewardship are crucial for building resilient societies and redressing historical injustice.

• Governments often presume scientific and defense needs should override indigenous rights, leading to stalled projects and denying indigenous communities their rights.

Sharper Legal Instruments

• Civil society groups, indigenous individuals in government positions, technological advances, and climate adaptation pressures have made legal instruments available to assert indigenous rights.

• The UN principle of ‘free prior and informed consent’ of indigenous peoples is bolstered by the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and convention 169 of the International Labour Organisation.

• Consultations with indigenous peoples are becoming cheaper and less risky than litigation.

• Governments need to be part of this progress, including in the arena of military action.

NIMAS’s Initiative

• NIMAS, an autonomous institute under India’s Ministry of Defence, aimed to plant the Indian flag on the highest point of each State.

• The team sidestepped local support for its ascent and planted the Indian flag from the Nepal side, reducing the cost of consulting native peoples.

• National integrity is also important for national security.