Wing Commander Vikrant Uniyal, who achieved the remarkable feat, had earlier trained at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Arunachal Pradesh and Army Mountaineering Institute, Siachen.
Representational image. AP
As part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav marking 75 years of Indian independence, Wing Commander Vikrant Uniyal of the Indian Air Force (IAF) scaled Mount Everest earlier this month. A video of his remarkable feat has caught the attention of social media users.
On 21 May, Uniyal, who is posted at Central Air Command in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj scaled the world’s tallest mountain. The Wing Commander dedicated his achievement to all the unsung heroes and movements that were part of India’s freedom struggle.
In a video shared by PRO Defence Prayagraj, Uniyal, along with a fellow mountaineer, can be seen holding the national flag and singing the national anthem after reaching the summit. “#NationalAnthem #JanaGanaMana at #MtEverest by #IAF Officer first time in Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav without mask,” the post by PRO Defence Prayagraj reads.
Check the video here:
In a second tweet, the PRO hailed Uniyal’s courage and determination to accomplish this feat in this special year. Check the post here:
Since being posted on social media, the clip has garnered thousands of views on Twitter. Many users termed it a proud moment for the country while others congratulated Uniyal for his inspiring feat.
Group Captain Samir Gangkhedkar, public relations officer (defence), Prayagraj informed that the Everest expedition began on 15 April from Kathmandu, Nepal.
Uniyal, who is a qualified mountaineer, was also part of the team. He had earlier trained at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Arunachal Pradesh and Army Mountaineering Institute, Siachen.
This is not the first video from the Indian Air Force that has grabbed eyeballs. Before Uniyal’s video made headlines, the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team of the IAF had shared four aerial shots of a location that left users stunned. The team had even asked their followers to guess the location. The now-viral images display seven jets of the Suryakiran aerobatic team zooming past each other.
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