Tribal students experience a world outside their hamlets

Dream come true for 20 tribal boys and girls

On May 9, when 17 boys and girls from tribal communities from Mysore district, living at the edge of the Bandipur National Park, stood on the summit of Sar Pass - a mountain in the Himalyan mountain range, 14,200 ft above sea level, they couldn’t believe their eyes.

Though it was unfortunate that three of the 20 tribal students who were part of the first ever Himalayan expedition for tribal youth, could not make it to the summit owing to altitude sickness, the rest had a view from the top that they would cherish for the rest of their lives.

Twenty tribal students who were part of the fifty member expedition titled ‘Udaan’, returned recently and recounted their experiences to Deccan Herald.

Though there were other adventure activities that the tribal students were exposed to during the expedition, they couldn’t stop talking about trekking on the snow in sub-zero temperatures. “We thought we were climbing a very tall mountain. But at the top of Sar Pass, we realised that there were higher mountains than the one we were standing on,” said Kavya, a student from Viveka Training School for Learning (VLTC).

Reaching the top

“In the beginning it was difficult. But later it became easier. Sliding for long distances over snow, down the mountain was very exciting,” she added, struggling for words to describe her experience.

Raju, also from VLTC remembered the difficulty he in breathing at the top. “We felt dizzy and nauseated while we were climbing after a certain height. But after reaching the top, we felt immensely happy,” he said.

Jayaprada, topped her SSLC exams at VLTC. “Naaveno bari Himalayas-ge karkond hoythare  ankodidvu. Aadre Delhi-gu karkond hogidru. Parliament-ella hogidvu, (We thought they would trake us only to the Himalayas. But, they took us many places including Delhi),” she said. The team witnessed both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sessions, visited the Golden Temple and Taj Mahal, among other taking part in other activities during the expedition.

The tribal students were accompanied by the Headmaster of VLTC, Kumar and three staff members from the school, apart from other instructors.

“For the last two to three years we have been arranging minor trekking expeditions to the nearby mountains. Since, it was also my first visit to the Himalayas, I was as excited as my students. It has been a humbling experience,” he said.

Apart from the tribals, a few other students and other mountaineering enthusiasts had taken part in the expedition.

Ram Kumar Chetty, a tenth standard student from St Joseph’s Central School, Yelawal, said that he had thought the tribal students to be “different”. “But, they are like us.

Though they were initially shy, they became good friends. We helped each other during the expedition. They were stronger than us in trekking. But, they had freaked out when we went white water rafting at Haridwar. It was a very good experience,” he said.

Shankara S N, team leader of the expedition and Chairman of International Academy of Mountaineering and Allied Sports has several memories to cherish following the trip.

Though he had been on the summit quite a few times, he said that he was happy to have allowed the tribal students to “experience the world outside their Haadis”.