Now a days a few rumours spreading out to Nim’s Dai (Nirmal Purja) in the social media. Mr Kamal Purja has been defending against the rumours.

By Kamal Purja – UK

What I have been reading in social media of attacks at my Brother Nirmal has hurt me deeply in my heart. I am astonished at the crude & baseless insults & lies circulating. As his older brother, I feel I have to say something to redress all this.

There is a well-known expression, in various forms in most languages these days, that comes straight out of the trenches of WWI, It says, in the English language version, “don’t stick your head above the parapet, some sniper will shoot it”. While meant literally then, it has come to mean “don’t stand out from the crowd or some lesser person will take a poke at you.” This is generally due to jealousy or desire to bring you down so they can think they are your equal or better

So my Brother Nirmal was daring enough to stand out, & how! Not only in his 14 Peaks World record but in so many singular instances. While record breaking, he also rescued climbers left for dead by their colleagues; he helped & inspired other climbers, not least on K2; he made it his promised intention to lift the reputation & recognition of the Sherpa to his proper recognition in the climbing industry, for instance teaching that each has a name & should be so recognised in telling the tale of the climb, & properly rewarded too.

So much more. But this was “head above the parapet” for many. And we see now what that can bring. One criticism I read even suggested that Nirmal encourages wild celebration & drinking to create an atmosphere that can lead to unwanted flirting with female climbers on the mountain. This was not the understanding, for instance, of the K2 groups who were inspired to make another, and successful, attempt at summitting. But never mind, it illustrated my Brother’s licentiousness of course.

One other point: there was a time when, if one had a serious complaint about another’s conduct one took that complaint to the proper authorities. But not, it seems for the “sniper”. He, or she, takes it to a likely newspaper, for financial gain one wonders? Or to the the tatty fields of the Social Media where it is bound to attract others of similar stature to jump aboard the train. Thus ensuring a conviction without trial: the surest means of dragging someone down. We see it all the time.

In the Army, we all learned to speak the honest truth & to speak it out if we dared. Nirmal has been speaking out. Not to cause trouble to anyone or any institution but only to achieve the things he feels in his heart are needed for all climbers & especially for the Sherpa & porter communities. Ask any of them & they will tell you how they appreciate what he has already achieved for them. Thanks to his efforts there are hundreds or perhaps thousands of young Nepalese who can now earn a living without having to go abroad for work.

My brother has taken legal advice & has taken action in law. My family respect the rule of law & believe in Justice. Nobody is above the law, so I advise any more contributors to this debate to consider carefully what they want to say. From my heart, I do wish to thank the thousands of messages of support that have flooded in. I wish I could meet each of you to thank you personally.