Man Fined Rs 2 Lakh For Illegally Scaling Sacred Australian Landmark
Aman named Simon Day was convicted after he illegally scaled and entered a restricted area – Uluru in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia. He has been convicted for scaling the sacred Aboriginal site near Alice Springs, a remote town in Australia’s Northern Territory, and has been fined $2,500 (Rs 1.9 lakh) for the same. ABC News reported that Parks Australia, the management of a national park agency which jointly looks after Uluru-Kata Tjuta with the Anangu group’s traditional owners, welcomed the decision.
A spokesperson from the Director of National Parks was reported as saying to ABC News that the Australian government corporation takes the protection of sacred sites very seriously, and further added, “Uluru has great spiritual significance to Anangu and is a significant part of Tjukurpa (customary law). Tjukurpa requires that Anangu take responsibility for looking after their sacred sites and visitors to their country”.
The 44-year-old man who is charged with trespassing is the first person to be accused of climbing the protected rock, after tourist activities like climbing, walking, or riding on it were banned completely on 26 October 2019. The board of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park voted unanimously to forbid climbing due to the spiritual significance of the site for the Anangu people in 2017.
A board on the site displays a message from the Anangu traditional owners which says that the Uluru rock is their home, and they are the custodians of the rock. A lot of people have died or been hurt because of the steep tracks and the Anangu people worry for the tourists’ safety and family. However, walking around the base of the rock is permitted.
The massive sandstone monolith, also known as Ayers rock, is a unique rock formation which has two UNESCO Heritage listings to its credit.
