Even in the 21st century, many people in our society still continue to see boys as an investment and girls as a liability. To change this rudimentary thought process, a 40-year-old mother of four daughters, Muri Linggi, decided to show our society how daughters are no less.
In 2018, the mother of four daughters, Muri Linggi, made us all proud as she became the third woman from Arunachal Pradesh to conquer Mount Everest – the highest peak in the world.
Being a peon in the state education department, Muri was determined to fulfill her dream of scaling Everest. Though some people in her kinship labeled her as strange or weird to have such a dream, but with her family’s support, she scripted history.
The self-driven mother became the third woman summiteer from the state to climb the 8,848 m (29,029 feet) mountain.
But her expedition was anything but easy. Because of the bad weather, Muri lost a lot of time and hence her plan to reach the summit was foiled. Without losing her focus, she had to bide time so that she could finish her expedition in time. While recalling how Muri pushed herself to finish this expedition in time, DSO Raju Mipi shared with Arunachal Times:
“It usually takes climbers five days to reach the peak from base camp. Linggi cut her time short by not stopping her climbing even during the night time,”
One thing is for sure, her sheer will power and determination seems to have kept her going long after most of us would have given up! But, it wasn’t only her determination that touched the hearts of many. She did something that touched the hearts of millions and made everyone respect women’s power more than ever.
As she reached the summit, she held the placard reading – Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, which was applauded by many people including Kiren Rijuju,who posted a picture of Muri at the peak holding a placard which read – ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.’
Muri Linggi, mother of four daughters has become the third woman from Arunachal Pradesh to conquer Mt Everest, the highest mountain peak in the world. I salute her determination & strength. Hearty congratulations! pic.twitter.com/I7U5FVoeBC
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) May 17, 2018
While sharing how her placard was an inspiring message for all parents, Muri mentioned:
“I’m blessed to be born in a free society where girls are equally allowed to compete if they have the talent, the potentisl and the guts to chase their dreams. Being a proud mother of four little angels, I wish all parents in Indian society to allow their girl children to live their dreams without any Lakshman Rekha (boundary line) drawn from them.”
She further mentioned the challenges that she faced in fulfilling her dreams, only because she was a girl:
“There have been instances where people have put me down or tried to embarass me just because I am a woman. But I think the trick lies in handling such situations and not giving anyone the power to make you feel inferior. These experiences only drove me to succeed.”
And sharing very insightful advice to all the young daughters who want to pursue their passion, she added:
“Everything seems impossible till we try it. So, dear beautiful women and girls, if you have the zeal the sky is just another milestone to be conquered”
At IFORHER, we applaud Muri’s courage and determination.We hope many would seek inspiration from this woman to not only treat their daughters right but also provide all the opportunities to live their dreams.
