Why Norway wanting to gift Finland a mountain makes our day

Territorial dogfights may be the most universal kind of politics, but there are some exceptions to the rule. While looking at the USA, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, United Kingdom (especially during the British Raj) gives one the cringe, or a perverted high, Norway is planning to give us a reason to smile.

A campaign is on in Norway to gift Finland a mountaintop to mark its centenary as a free nation. Bjørn Geirr Harsson, a retired Norwegian geophysicist, has been the champion of the idea behind this “unprecedented show of kindness”, and has made a documentary about it, called Battle for Birthday Mountain.

So the idea is quite simple. Halti Peak, which is part of the Norway-Finland border mountains, is the highest point in Norway, while neighbouring Finland has the hillside, or the valley. Now, Svein Oddvar Leiros, mayor of the municipality of Kåfjord where the mountaintop is located, among others, is all for gifting Halti Peak to Finland as a gesture of kindness and friendship, so that the highest point in Finland is raised, and the glorious mountaintop can become a part of the 100-year-old country.

This would mean merely 31 metres of sacrifice into the current Norwegian land, but a lovely bouquet of views and thrill for the Finnish.

Of course, all that glitters is not gold. There are massive constitutional hiccups to this seemingly noble idea, as Article 1 of Norway’s constitution, like good old recalcitrant books of law, states that the kingdom of Norway is “indivisible and inalienable”.

Bjørn Geirr Harsson wants to make an example of Norway by trending the act of territorial gifts at global parties, but the ride isn’t that smooth. Nevertheless, Birthday Mountain is a cause to raise a toast to in Norway, and who knows soon we might start gifting peaks and lakes and even seas in the spirit of camaraderie.

Or, may be we all just need a drink.

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