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Youth told to take to adventure sports
by Sutirtha Sanyal

       Morsona/Majhi/New Delhi: Indian youth is not attracted towards adventure sports because of lethargy on the part of the students and an education system that demands the student to focus his cent per cent attention to his studies or opposition by the parents, according to Ms Bachendri Pal, India's first woman Everest conqueror. While accompanying a team of 42 executives from Tata Cummins and Tata Chemicals on the trek from Morsona to Manjhi in the Garhwal hills, organised by Tata Steel Adventure Foundation, (TSAF), Jamshedpur, Ms Pal told this correspondent, who was also a part of the excursion, that adventure sports could be help channelise the country' youth's energy into a positive direction.

      According to her, the young don't hesitate to spend time watching movie stars gyrate on the screen, and its not a once in a while phenomenon. The total time spent watching soaps and movies in a students' three, four or even two year post graduation nearly equals the years he or she spends pursuing his education. Neither do students in India have to undergo compulsory military training like their counterparts in the West or many Asian countries. The National Cadet Corps (NCC) training that was made compulsory across under-graduate educational institutes in the aftermath of the 1962 and 1965 wars has now been made optional, and many opt for the National Service Scheme (NSS) over the NCC. So, in a country where military training is not compulsory, adventure sports could well be the answer to boost up the youth's pent up energy. As she says, taking part in adventure activities doesn't mean that one has to climb Mt. Everest. That is the job of a mountaineer. But, it certainly imbibes a spirit of camaraderie, hones up skills of time management, leadership and above all the courage to overcome all obstacles and survive in the face of adversity. An army is as good as the general who commands it. While in the army, it the officers of today who become the generals of tomorrow, in the corporate world, it is the managers of today who will one day become the CEO's of tomorrow. It is then the skills of leadership and man-management learnt during these outdoor development programmes that will come in handy for them, she says.

      It is for this very reason that several corporate houses and management institutes are sending their executives and the managers of tomorrow on excursions as part of their management development programme, she adds. And she certainly has a point. Prince William and Harry, heir to the British throne will never ever fire a bullet in a real battlefield. But the two still went ahead with their training at Sandhurst, one of Britain's oldest military academies. "The Wharton Business School has made it compulsory for its students to undertake a trek to the Everest Base Camp, which is at a height of 18000 feet. They are not going to be mountaineers. But the ability to overcome the challenges will enable them to perform better in their professional life", says Ms Pal. "At some places, the knees will wobble, the feet will ache, and you might feel breathlessness, but then it will be your will- power that will push forward to your goal. And believe me, if you can attain your goal at this high altitude overcoming the adversities of weather and terrain, then there is no reason why you will not succeed in your professional life. Adventure sports will only make you more courageous and confident," she adds.

      She however, laments that colleges and universities have not made any efforts to boost adventure sports. And the blame, she says lies on the parents as much as on the institutions. "Indian parents are overprotective. We don't want to let our children out of our sight. So even if the schools take the initiative to send their children on five day or 10 day camps during their summer holidays, the parents throw a fit. 'What will happen if he breaks an arm, or fractures a leg'? What can done," she says. "Unless, parents take the initiative and learn to let their children grow, schools cannot do anything. Many schools send their students to our adventure camps specifically organized by TSAF for school children during their summer breaks and they always give a good feedback. They write back to me saying how much more confident they have become after the camp," she said.
-Nov 23,  2006

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