By Munize Ali, TwoCircles.net,
TCN Special Series: Part 3 on Nasim Akhtor
Guwahati: ‘If you want to achieve something in life, all you need is to have a desire, a vision and a dream’, said Nasim Akhtor, a woman of substance. Nasim Akhtor is going to make history forthcoming August 16, 2011 by leading the first ever team from North East to step into Mount Everest. She is a teacher by profession and her passion made her the first ever woman mountaineer from North East India and she still continue to hold this glory at the age of 54.
Nasim Akhtor
On being asked how she nurtured the desire of being a mountaineer. Nasim’s answer hinted her fancy free extrovert nature. ‘I loved adventure since my child hood. I enjoyed climbing trees and was rebuked for such ‘male’ nature in me. I loved nature and was grounded into nature. But never thought this ‘love’ will take the shape of my passion called mountaineering. 50 years ago, no woman could imagine that there can be a dream known as mountaineering’. At a young age, Nasim built her image of a cow boy and could challenge the social snide towards a girl being adventurous. Then how Nasim could desire for stepping into Mount Everest, the ultimate destination of every mountaineer?
Inspiration from mother
‘It was my mother, Mazida Begum who inspired me. Mom would sometime punish me for my uncommon nature and would also encourage me a lot. Today, whatever I am, it’s because of my mother. My mother was the best support for me when I became a mountaineer’.
It was Mr. Rohini Bhuyan who introduced Nasim into the passion called mountaineering. In 1972, Rohini introduced this passion in Assam and was organizing a team for an expedition to Sandakpur, Darjeeling and required some ‘adventurous’ girls to be a part of the team. No wonder, Nasim was selected as one of the team member as she has already became ‘infamous’ by then. There were 20 members in the team and four of them were girls. ‘It was December, 1972 and was my first train journey that took me to Darjeeling. I was hardly 16 years old then, thrilled, excited but knew nothing about Himalaya. All I knew is that I was going to Darjeeling. I met Tenzing Norgay during that expedition and he delivered a lecture to our team. Tenzing said that we will fall in love with Himalaya. I was amused by this concept of falling in love with a rigid rocky substance called Himalaya. How can a human being fall in love with Himalaya? I laughed a lot. But at the end of the expedition when I was returning home I realized I am in love. Love with Himalaya. I felt Himalaya in me and I realized I have to come back ’, remembers Nasim.
Resistance from society
That was the beginning of the tryst with Himalaya that never ended till date. Nasim is a frequent visitor to Himalayas since then. How was it for a woman to be a mountaineer for Nasim belonging to a Muslim family? ‘There was resistance from the society and the concept of mountaineering was not at all popular. It was my mother who told me that if you want to be somebody in life, you have to challenge such things and go ahead. You have to sacrifice something to be an achiever in life. But don’t forget yourself and your confidence’. Nasim never forgot these immortal lines though her mother is no more in this world to encourage her. Her mother was the sole inspiration for Nasim to fall in love with Himalaya.
Breaking stereotypes
Nasim continued trekking in Nepal, Kashmir etc. In 1986, Nasim led the first expedition all women team from North East India and went to Kang Esai Mount of Ladakh which is at a height of 21132 ft. ‘It was the first women expedition and I was there as a leader. It was a team of 8 women and 5-6 men were there as supporter. We went to Srinagar and collected required equipment with the help of Indian Army’, recalls Nasim. When Nasim reached Ladakh, she was confronted with a stereotype. She was asked how she became a team leader being a Muslim girl. Nasim’s answer was straight. ‘Muslim girl can book ticket for cinema; Muslim girl can sit and eat in a restaurant and why a Muslim girl can’t do it? All you need a desire’, was her bold answer to those stereotypes.
Nasim was born in Guwahati on October 1, 1956. In a family of 5 children, she was the youngest one. Her passion for mountaineering won her accolades. In 1993, Nasim became the first member of prestigious Delhi –based Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) from North East India. She was the governing council member of IMF for ten years 1999- 2009.
Nasim with Mamta Benarjee during a meeting in 1993
Nasim’s journey in the Himalayas is a treasure full of memories. She recollects, ‘in 1996, during a trekking, me and my team crossed 19000 ft and suddenly weather became very bad. And storm began. Immediately a Sherpa named Pachang, put me inside a rock and covered me with his body. After the storm I found his back is bleeding due to injuries caused by the storm. I was amazed with their sacrifice. I never forgot him.
Acknowledgement from community
Today Nasim‘s achievements are celebrated by her community who criticized her ‘adventurous’ nature. She is invited to local mosques and other Islamic celebrations as chief guests and offered facilitations. “This is my achievement. This is the change I want to see where women can be aspired to be achievers’, said Nasim.
Currently Nasim is busy in preparation for the forthcoming expedition which she terms as an encouragement for people of North East India. ‘There is huge potential for trekking and mountaineering in North East. People of this region must explore and build this region. It can be taken as a profession too. Youths can open travel agencies and arrange for trekking and mountaineering. That’s the reason I am leading this first team to Everest from this region. There will be 12 members and 8 supporting members. We have members from all states except Tripura. The whole expedition will cost about 3 crore rupees. We are working hard and have full confidence to be successful.’
Today Nasim Akhtor is a woman of substance. With tremendous courage and strong determination, she has become a role model for every aspiring mountaineer from the region.
Anyone interested to sponsor Nasim and her team, contact email: [email protected] and phone: +91-9957722609