The World’s Scariest Journey to the School! After Reading this Story, Decide, how much Responsible You Should Be?

Dear Friends and Students

Today I typed “Toughest Student Life in The Himalayas in Google Search”. Then I got following YouTube Documentary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEJpkEctSEA . It got 28 lakh views!

Then I typed “Funniest Pranks in India in Google Search”. Then I got multiple videos. Few junk videos got attracted 1.1 crore views. I am leaving it to the student’s discretion, right or wrong!

I decided to dedicate this story to all those student warriors, taking the arduous journey for the cause of education. These documentaries must be shown in every school, to every student above 5 years old. Every student must realize how happy or difficult after seeing these difficulties. Recently I read somewhere that after lockdown, the average number of hours glued to smartphone got increased to 4 - 7 hours, most of the time, for online games! Please think twice about whether it is worth it or not!

I wish you will read the following story narrated by Free Documentary Channel. I am just copying as it is so that the essence of the story is not lost. This is the story of Father Latak and Son Motup. Motup is studying in Boarding school. Father has to drop his son and return back home. I appreciate the Documentary Cameraman and Voice-Over Storyteller. Hats off for making such a documentary in that treacherous setting!

Context Setting

It takes 4 days to reach the School. I am sure it is another 4 days for the father to return back home! In my view, Latak is the real father. Motup is the true son. They are the real heroes. Amazing effort by the Cameraman who covered the entire 4 days’ journey and concisely showing to us. This place is engulfed between Pakistan in the west and China in the North and East! Father did not fatigue in spite of carrying luggage and children. Back in the home, the mother does not have any clue whether they reached safely or not. They are purely dependent on God! Unless you are spiritually bound, you cannot survive there. We must appreciate the scarifies of these amazing parents! If there is an award called “Father of the Year”, these people should receive it. Father’s Day has to be celebrated here but not in Holiday Resorts!

After reading till here, I am sure, you would take another few minutes reading the actual story by the channel. Please do read and watch the documentary.

Jai Ho- जय हो- జై హో

Your well-Wisher

Ravi Saripalle

Join Inspire to Innovate (i2i) Storytelling Movement (Follow at http://i2iTM.blogspot.com)

Narration by the Channel As-Is (Source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEJpkEctSEA):-

“Twice a year the forbidding journey to the boarding school is necessary. Father Latak, looks to the sky and attempts to predict how the weather will develop. Only when he is sure that no storm is brewing, he starts to prepare the children for the trip over the river. It is a route that is so notorious, that it even has a name: Chadar- the path over the cloak of ice.

One last time, his ten year old son Motup, plays in front of their hut. Motup is one of the few kids who regularly leave the village in order to attend one of the the better schools in town. Then the family gets ready for the long trip. The mother has sewn thick wool socks for the father and the children, and Tebean prayers and mantras are recited for protection along the way. Then the trip begins, where the children muss trust completely the experience and skill of their father.

The first steps, only a few kilometres until the frozen river, seem easy for the family. But father Latak recognizes immediately that the spring has come early this year and the sun has already began to compromise the ice. This is not a good sign, since the thinner the ice the more dangerous the trip becomes.

Latak goes before the children and tests with a stick before each step on the ice. Often the ice cracks a bit, but the ice remains whole. Latak knows that no one should travel the Chadar without a good reason. But the education of the children is a good enough reason to take on the risks involved. He knows that if he goes first and the ice carries his weight, that it will also carry the weight of the children. If it does not, it will be he that will fall in the icy water and not his two children.

At the same time, Latak, Motup and the other members of the crew must keep a close eye on the mountains. The massive mountain ranges on both sides of them seem to be a scene form a picture book, peaceful and lordly. But there is danger lurking. At any given time, an avalanche can break out. Many times before people have been caught by avalanches here. In the mean time the sun has already thawed the middle of the river. But since there are steep rocks right and left, Latak must now search for a new path for them to continue on. He leaves Motup behind him and luckily finds a way. It is a 20 cm wide path on the rocks at the edge of the river, and up to ten meters high. They need almost an hour, skipping from rock to rock until they finally reach an area where the river is again covered with ice.

Now they must find a place to set up camp as soon as possible before it becomes dark and the temperatures sink to as low as -30 degrees Celsius. Latak knows a cave where they will be protected and finally be able to get some rest. They must gather their strength because the most dangerous part of the Chadar still lies before them. The ice is almost completely melted. Only a 50 cm wide strip borders right and left the ice-cold water, making the river absolutely impassible. Rocky overhangs above the ice block the way.

Father and son must now crawl its way to school. Father Latak tests his way over the ice on his belly. After any progress made, he pulls his son by their hands to him. There are countless dangerous situations that make this way to school so unpredictable. But after four days it is over, they have reached their goal; the city of Leh and the school.”