Anurag is a colleague of mine from the South East Asia Leadership Academy (SEALA). He was a member of SEALA 7. I have not met him personally, due to pandemic travel restrictions being in operation during the past few years.
When the news came of Anurag’s fall, Sri Lanka was in the midst of extended celebrations for Easter Sunday, and for our own big national holiday, Sinhala and Tamil New Year. As a member of the extended SEALA community, I was able to observe the extraordinary rescue mission that took place, and the above and beyond efforts made by his family and friends to rescue Anurag from what even very experienced mountaineers thought was a terrible tragedy.
The speed with which everyone formed into a giant virtual HQ via WhatsApp to meet this challenge was eye-opening. While Anurag’s personal family members accompanied the local authorities to search on the site of where he had fallen, 600 plus people from many countries - but especially India and Nepal, the contextual region - started offering assistance and support in a myriad of ways.
It took them only a short time to subdivide into 3 groups, to be more effective: one group to source thermal scanning camera equipment, and metal detectors and other specialist items from both public and private companies and vendors needed to facilitate the rescue; one group to draft and write letters and petitions to relevant governmental and military and political authorities in order to get the permits and authorizations needed; and one group to pray and offer spiritual and psychological support.
We prayed three times a day, joining in meditation, and trying our best to synchronise our timing, as we were in different time zones across the world. On the last day of Ramadan, after nearly 72 hours of anxiety and hope in the face of hopelessness, the news was relayed by Anurag’s brother, that the young man had been found and was being rescued. He had fallen into a crevasse, and had been buried in snow, but was still alive, although in a critical condition.
Video footage of the incredible rescue efforts were put up on Instagram, showing the amazement and relief of the rescue party.
It is terrifying to watch the video of the rescue, even knowing that there was a good outcome. We see stark, sharp walls of ice, interspersed with terrible dark gaps in the rock, we hear the hard breathing of the rescuers, and see their icy breath; we see the yellow climbing suit and helmet as they emerge into view, and while he is brought to safety.
While Anurag is recovering in hospital, those in the prayer group understand that this is another stage of the miraculous event. He came back from the mountain, and now he is slowly coming back to himself, into his body and awareness. We continue to pray for his full recovery.
I understood several things in this week of extremes. I have until now generally not understood at all why people climb mountains, or engage in extreme sports. I admire courage and heroism. I understand how adrenaline works. Paintball or bungee jumping is one thing, but to put yourself at risk in such a way regularly seemed to me to be not so much heroic or admirable, but reckless - and even arrogant. Until now.
I had thought most people who did such things were rather attention-getting. Especially in the age of social media. Even those who did these actions to draw attention to a cause. Being cynical, and sceptical at the way many people put themselves forward and flag themselves on social media, I have found many of those people to be narcissistic and performative.
And especially those who spoke of ‘conquering’ mountains.
I was completely wrong, in this case. When I looked up Anurag’s Instagram Page, I found post after post expressing his sincere respect, admiration and adoration for the mountains. It is clear that this young man felt most alive when he was climbing and exploring the mountains of the world, and speaking out about the work we should do to conserve the natural heritage of the Earth.
As I prayed, along with the others, each in our own spaces, linked by technology, I felt that the Earth, who he clearly saw as a Mother, would surely understand his intentions and protect this young man. Even though rational argument told us that his being found, and found alive, was increasingly lessening as the hours went by, with bad weather, snowstorms, avalanches and risk to the sherpas and rescuers, I held this image in my mind.
Our joy at Anurag’s safe return is tempered by the realization that it takes time for the body of even a young, strong person to recover fully from such an ordeal. But by doing what he loved, he took us all out to the edges of the known world with him. He has broadened our empathy, our imagination and our understanding of the value of human life, and to what extreme lengths people will go - to live it fully, and to support, encourage and enable each other to live it.
