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The 2nd Sujal Mukherjee Memorial Lecture-A Short Report


It was the evening of 21st November, 2014, and the Swami Vivekananda Auditorium of the State Youth Centre in Kolkata, was full. Mountain lovers of Kolkata had gathered once again for the Sujal Mukherjee Memorial Lecture. This lecture, the second in its series, proved once again that the real spirit of mountaineering and the love of the great outdoors; rise beyond the barriers and boundaries of clubs, associations at ease. It is in such rare occasions, people get-together spontaneously, and celebrates the ‘freedom of the hills’.  It is during such rare meets we are reassured of the fact that the spirit of mountaineer Sujal Mukherjee (1932-1994) has not yet been completely washed away by the recent tsunami waves of ‘High Altitude Package Tourism’ and its glorious celebration in the popular media !


Dr. Kallol Das, welcomed all to the evening and said a few words about Sujal Mukherjee, his beloved teacher 'SujalDa' and as he saw him.


After the welcome address, Anindya Mukherjee introduced and invited Ursula McPherson, the current President of Mountaineering Ireland, to come on stage and address the audience.


Ursula McPherson, a seasoned mountaineer and an all-round adventurist, spoke about her experience in the Himalaya and mentioned especially of the warmth and welcoming nature of the people she came across.


Rajesh Gadgil, Hony. Editor of the Himalayan Journal felicitated Ursula McPherson. 


Dr. Rupak Bhattacharya spoke of the current sad trends of 'tourist mountaineering' and 'ego ascents' in West Bengal and reminded the audience of the relevance and importance of Sujal Mukherjee's spirit today. Dr. Bhattacharya then introduced our guest speaker Alan Tees and invited him on stage.


We were extremely lucky to have Alan Tees as the guest speaker this evening. Alan Tees, former President of Mountaineering Ireland, is a keen rock and ice climber. A complete mountaineer and an adventure lover in true sense.


The title of Alan’s talk this evening was ‘Ireland and Irish Mountaineers’.  In his talk Alan Tees covered the history of Irish Mountaineering and their contribution to the sport.  While at the same time, he pointed out the various climbing opportunities and mountaineering related activities available to a climber based in Ireland today. He took the audience on a fascinating journey from Scottish winter climbs to the cliffs of Norway; from the sea stacks of Northern Ireland to the Himalaya. It was truly an inspiring lecture!



Hon'ble Justice Sri Biswanath Somadder of the High Court of Kolkata felicitated Alan Tees after the 2nd Sujal Mukherjee Memorial Lecture.

As a real surprise gift to this evening, Rajesh Gadgil, Hony. Editor of The Himalayan Journal, did an audio-visual presentation on their recent exploratory expedition in Rassa Glacier region in the Eastern Karakoram. It was truly a great culmination point for an inspiring evening. 

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