Late Malli Mastan is a classic example of why we need to look beyond films and cricket
Solo till the end: Malli Mastan Babu at the Andes
Hyderabad: If mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu’s life was an inspiration to thousands across the globe, his demise seems to be raising some really important questions on how India treats its heroes.
At a memorial service last week, city businessman Satyam Bheemirasetti, who had been supporting Malli Mastan’s expeditions, especially the seven summits, pointed out, “We create heroes out of actors and cricketers. And when we are glued to our televisions watching world cups and IPLs, history is being made by real people, who have faced real challenges and achieved something very real.”
The CEO of Neosilica, who as an entrepreneur loves taking risks, supported this mountaineer. But not everyone wanted to take those risks. Along with the stories of how the Nellore mountaineer managed to scale mountains were stories of how he struggled to fund his expeditions. So his friends’ angst against the country and its people and media was justified. The questions were: Are appearances everything? Can India appreciate anything beyond Bollywood and cricket? Why is mountaineering treated like a hobby only for the elite?
Misconceptions:
“There are a couple of misconceptions about these kinds of sports,” says Diyanat Ali of Greater Hyderabad Adventure Club. “One, mountaineering and the like are seen as interests of the wealthy. Also, it is forgotten that these sports need actual training, which could span at least three to four years of hard work.”
He adds, “The government of India only considers games listed in Asiad and the Olympic associations. Any games out of these frameworks don’t get much support.”
Image is crucial:
Meanwhile, advertising experts believe that an image that is appealing to the masses is the trick. City’s Venkat Jagdish of OTS advertising says, “The fact remains that India loves Bollywood, followed by cricket. So if you want to look for what is the weakest link in identifying real icons, we can start with the media on how it projects these images and also on general public awareness on these kinds of sports.”
Having met Mastan personally while he tried to get some sponsorship, Jagdish says, “Nothing. He got no support.”
Funding with jobs:
While Malli Mastan was a man who believed in his passion to be able to fund himself, a lot of passionate mountaineers today do conventional jobs to support themselves.
A hardy mother of two and a teacher, Kiranmai Kondaveeti, is respected among the city circles for scaling Mount Kilimanjaro. “I work as a teacher. So I save all my earning to be able to take at least one expedition a year,” she says.
And she admits she wouldn’t think twice to quit her job and climb mountains full time if she got the support. “I need at least '3 to '4 lakh per expedition, which I manage once a year,” she says.
GHAC’s Suresh Kochattil also points out, “Foreign mountaineers come with excess of money, and literally have a party, with sherpas, guides and equipment. Meanwhile, Indians have learned to cut corners and reduce the cost of their expeditions because they have to fund it themselves. So if an organisation or government had to fund Malli Mastan, it would only mean to sponsor air tickets because he had friends all over the world to take care of the rest. This was the reason he travelled solo as well, not only did it help him keep up the pace, but also reduced costs as groups would require a lot more resources and funding.”
Corporate education:
However, good news is that there is a first step towards awareness. GHAC’s Outlife division works with corporates on training people on skills of leadership, decision-making and the like with outdoor sports.
“When you are climbing, after a point it becomes a test on your mind. As you go on, it turns into a spiritual experience. Now, one can bring back all the learning from these expeditions and apply it to their personal and professional lives,” says Ali.
( Source : dc )
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