Jai Hind: Proud to be an Indian

My life is not so much stepping on top of a peak that has never been stepped on before, or traveling to the South Pole, but, rather more, the building of schools and medical clinics for the very worthy people of the Himalayas.

-Sir Edmund Hillary

It is indeed a shame that while we are discussing over racism and the stupid Symonds… a man who fought against racism all his life took his last breath. But, this other “Gora” did more than you and I can ever talk about, he showed it in his actions. He was a legend in his own right. He was Sir Edmund Hillary.

Sir Edmund Hillary passed away on 10^th January 2008 at the age of 88. He was the first man who “knocked the bastard off” (read Mount Everest) in 1953. Five years later in 1958, he reached South pole as part of Commonwealth Trans-Antartic expedition. In 1985 he accompanied Neil Armstrong in a small twin-engined ski plane over the Arctic Ocean and landed at the North Pole. He was thus the first man to reach both poles and Mount Everest. That truly makes him a world citizen – atleast geographically.

But there was more to Sir Edmund Hillary than his larger than life feats. He was not great because of his achievements but because with the humbleness he handled the success. For many years he refused to disclose on who reached the everest first and insisted on sharing it with Tenzing Norgay. This speaks volumes of the character of Sir Ed. Ironically we don’t have even a photograph of this great man on the world roof. (Tenzing did not know how to handle a camera!)

In his effort to repay the Sherpas for their help this man set up a Himalayan Trust which built two hospitals, 20-odd schools and a similar number of health clinics for them. He raised funds by traveling all around the world and lecturing. He led a jetboat expedition, titled “Ocean to Sky”, from the mouth of the Ganges to its source in 1977. He was New Zealand’s high commissioner to India in 1985.

He was a prolific author and speaker, always willing to lend a hand to good causes. People who interacted with him found him to be an extremely pleasant personality who was quick to make others comfortable regardless of their age, status or background. He opposed commercial climbing and was extremely critical of the New Zealander Mark Inglis and 40 other climbers who, in various groups, left British climber David Sharp to die in May 2006.

He was a true gentleman and a Hero of his times. I request the readers to maintain a two minute silence as a mark of respect to this great gentleman.

Read more:

• http://www.cureblindness.org/who/hillary.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Hillary
• http://www.indianexpress.com/story/260678.html
• http://www.google.co.in/search?q=edmund+hillary+india

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