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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 8:56:24 pm

Unanswered messages, anxious families

Mumbai: Over 72 hours after the great Himalayan deluge along the Nepal-Tibet borders, the fate and whereabouts of Mumbai’s mountaineer and medico, Dr. Milind P. Chitaley, his wife Megha and their 61-plus team of pilgrims bound for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, in Tibet, remain unclear. Leading mountaineers from Mumbai, Pune and other places, along with Maharashtra and Indian government are working almost 24X7 to get information on the ‘missing’ group that went through Hills & Trails, Andheri for...

Unanswered messages, anxious families

Mumbai: Over 72 hours after the great Himalayan deluge along the Nepal-Tibet borders, the fate and whereabouts of Mumbai’s mountaineer and medico, Dr. Milind P. Chitaley, his wife Megha and their 61-plus team of pilgrims bound for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, in Tibet, remain unclear. Leading mountaineers from Mumbai, Pune and other places, along with Maharashtra and Indian government are working almost 24X7 to get information on the ‘missing’ group that went through Hills & Trails, Andheri for the grueling pilgrimage. With no trace of the group – they were reportedly in the thick of the monumental disaster that struck on Wednesday catching the world by surprise – many are losing hope. “He is an experienced mountaineer with over three decades of adventure tours and trekking. For many years he has been organizing tours to the Himalayas and pilgrimage purposes,” a veteran of tall peaks and President of Akhil Maharashtra Giryarohan Mahasangh (AMGM) President Umesh Zirpe told ‘The Perfect Voice’. Thane resident and retired professor Charuhas Joshi has proceeded to Nepal to help trace his friends, the Chitaley couple and the other pilgrims from different parts of the state. “The Nepalese Army, various mountaineering associations and Gurkhas are doing a fabulous job. The region where the tragedy occurred has brought back a lot of sludge, debris along with the flood waters. Outside teams for search-and-rescue are not permitted by the Nepal government to avoid confusion,” Joshi told this paper from Kathmandu. However, he was informed that “chances of any more survivors appear bleak given the mammoth tragedy, but miracles cannot be ruled out” as the families and friends of the group remain tense back home and pray for divine intervention. Zirpe said that last year, he had visited the picturesque region which has now become a huge disaster zone that has shocked the world. “The pilgrims team was very close to this area and today I have only one confirmed name from Pune. We are optimistic that some positive news will soon emerge…” he trailed off. He was all praise for the Nepal government which is managing the SAR efforts with its own expert mountaineers - especially the Gurkhas and Sherpas – and external rescue teams have not been allowed for the specialized operations. Among the Mumbai pilgrims reportedly still missing are PD Hinduja Hospital, Mahim’s Dr. Anand Deshpande and his wife Dr. Gayatri of Nanavati Hospital, Vile Parle and efforts are on to verify other group members. Nevertheless, communication from Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region - where the Mansarovar pilgrimage destination is situated - remains a major challenge. In a related development, activist Anjali Damania said on social media that her neighbour Prerna Kale - who had gone for the same pilgrimage with a Nepali organiser, Richa Tours, overseen by Dr. Chitaley – is also missing. “Following the natural disaster, her family has not heard from her at all. She last spoke with her family on August 25 at 7 pm, informing them they were heading towards Kailash Mansarovar. We are trying all possible official channels for any information on her,” Damania added. Unread Messages Talking to PTI, Dr Chitley’s brother-in-law Sandeep Padhye said, “We were in touch with my sister till August 25, but the messages sent on August 26 remain unread.” It is still unclear whether the group crossed into China before or during the floods, he said. As per the itinerary, the group was to drive from Timure to the China border in the early hours of August 26 and reach Mansarovar on Saturday. “We haven’t got any information from the authorities. An official of the Hills and Trails, a travel company founded by Dr Chitley, has travelled to Nepal to check. Till then, we are keeping our fingers crossed. We have to accept whatever the situation is,” he said. The group was to return to Mumbai on September 6 after completing their Kailash Parikrama on September 2. Dr Chitley, who founded Hills and Trails and has led treks to the Himalayas for nearly three decades, had posted a notice outside his clinic, stating it would remain closed until September 6. State Help Relatives of Mumbai resident Satish Patankar, who was also travelling in the region, have approached state authorities to help trace their location. His brother Sanjay told reporters that he had reached Kathmandu on August 23 and spent the following day getting acclimatised and sightseeing before leaving for Timure, a post on the Nepal-Tibet border, on August 25. “Satish messaged me on the evening of August 25 that his group had reached Timure and was scheduled to cross the border the following day. The group comprised around 27 people,” he said. He was expected to complete immigration formalities at the border on August 26, Sanjay said, adding that the family believed the group could have still been at the immigration centre when the disaster struck and that the facility was probably completely washed away in the floods. He said the family was trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the group amid the devastation caused by the disaster. Final Position For another Mumbai family, the wait for news has proved equally agonising, with Goregaon resident Rahul Desai telling PTI that his 67-year-old father-in-law Avnish Merchant and four friends are among those missing. “They left for Kathmandu on August 23 for the Kailash Parikrama through Richa Tours, whose India partner is Hills and Trails. His last message came on August 26 at 7 am saying they were leaving for the border,” Desai said. “Around 8.30 am, we found the last location from the iWatch of his friend, which indicated that their final position was the check post bridge,” Desai added. He said the family was tracking all official channels for an update, while emphasising the need for a centralised information system. “It is a difficult situation. It would be better if there is a single-window facility to get information about casualties. There needs to be a structure so that families need not run from pillar to post,” Desai said. There is a missing list, but there should also be a rescue and fatality list for the distraught family members, he added. Last call, then silence: Thane father awaits news of missing son The last phone call of his 28-year-old son still echoes in his father’s mind, a reminder of his excitement to start his journey to Kailash Mansarovar just hours before flash floods in Nepal cut off all contact with his family in Maharashtra’s Thane district. Abhishek Ghone, a Kalyan resident working for a travel booking portal, had left for Kathmandu on August 24 and called home late Tuesday night to inform his family that his group would begin the journey early the next morning, shortly before the flash floods swept through Rasuwa and other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday. The family has approached the authorities, but they have not responded with any concrete information, the distressed father said. In their desperate bid for answers, one of Abhishek’s friends used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to track his location, which suggested he might be in a safe zone, though the family is wary of relying on unverified data, he said. “My son had planned this pilgrimage for a long time and was excited,” Abhishek’s father said on Saturday, recounting the agonising silence that has followed their last conversation. He explained that Abhishek had called late Tuesday night to share that his group would set off early the next morning, but the family has not heard from him since. “We are completely unaware of his whereabouts and deeply concerned, and though we have approached the authorities, they have not yet gotten back to us with any concrete information,” the distressed father said. The massive flash flood originating in Tibet swept through central Nepal on Wednesday, devastating several towns and villages, washing away critical bridges and crippling a dozen hydropower projects as it gushed downstream, affecting multiple districts. In their desperate bid for answers, one of Abhishek’s friends used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to track his location, which suggested he might be in a safe zone. “The information may not be authentic, and we want the authorities to provide verified updates,” Abhishek’s father added. According to the family, the local tour operator managing the yatra was conveying 70 to 80 pilgrims from across India, who were travelling together across five vehicles when the extreme weather struck. The family stressed that their sole concern was tracing their son amidst the destruction caused by the mountain torrents. “We are not angry with the administration or upset. We only want information about our son,” his father pleaded, urging authorities to trace Abhishek in whatever condition he may be. According to reports, four residents from the Kalyan-Dombivli region were reported missing in Nepal following the flash floods. -With PTI

Gun Violence in America

Updated: Jan 2, 2025

Gun Violence in America

On December 16, 2024, tragedy struck Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, where a 15-year-old student, Natalie Rupnow, fatally shot a fellow student and a teacher before taking her own life. Six others were injured, with two in critical condition. This devastating event is a grim reminder of the United States' ongoing struggle with gun violence, particularly in schools.


A Long History of Gun Ownership in America

The issue of gun violence in the United States cannot be discussed without acknowledging its deep-rooted history of gun ownership. The right to bear arms is enshrined in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1791, which states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”


Initially, this amendment was intended to empower citizens to form militias for self-defense during a time when standing armies were distrusted. Over the centuries, however, the interpretation of the Second Amendment has evolved. Today, it is often cited as a justification for individual gun ownership, a concept reinforced by landmark court cases such as District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), which affirmed an individual's right to own firearms for self-defense.


Gun culture is deeply ingrained in American society, with nearly 400 million firearms in civilian hands—more guns than people. This level of accessibility, coupled with a powerful gun lobby led by organizations like the National Rifle Association (NRA), has made significant legislative reform difficult.


Gun Violence in Numbers

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), firearms cause approximately 40,000 deaths annually in the United States—equivalent to 109 deaths per day. This figure includes homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings. Among children and teenagers, firearms are now the leading cause of death, surpassing motor vehicle accidents.


School shootings are a particularly horrifying aspect of gun violence in America. Since 1990, there have been over 800 incidents in K-12 schools, resulting in more than 500 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. High-profile tragedies such as the Columbine High School massacre (1999), the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting (2012), and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School attack (2018) have shocked the nation and the world, yet meaningful reforms remain elusive.


A Global Comparison

The United States stands out among developed nations for its high rate of gun violence. In countries like Australia, Canada, and much of Europe, strict gun control measures have significantly reduced firearm-related deaths. For example: By contrast, the firearm-related death rate in the United States is 12.2 per 100,000 people, significantly higher than other developed nations. The prevalence of guns and the lack of uniform gun control laws contribute to this disparity.


Challenges in Addressing Gun Violence

Efforts to reduce gun violence in the U.S. have faced significant obstacles. One of the most notable is the prohibition of federal funding for gun violence research. In 1996, Congress passed the Dickey Amendment, effectively barring the CDC from studying gun violence as a public health issue. Although the funding ban was partially lifted in 2019, its legacy has left the country with a limited understanding of the causes and solutions to gun violence.


Advocates have long called for measures such as:

• Universal Background Checks: Closing loopholes in gun sales to ensure that all firearm purchases are subject to background checks.

• Safe Storage Laws: Requiring gun owners to store firearms securely to prevent unauthorized access.

• Bans on Certain Firearms: Prohibiting the sale of assault-style weapons, which are often used in mass shootings.


The Debate Over Gun Rights and Reform

The debate over gun control in the United States often pits the rights of gun owners against the need for public safety. Opponents of stricter gun laws argue that restrictions infringe on constitutional rights and fail to address the root causes of violence, such as mental health issues. Proponents, however, point to the success of gun control measures in other countries and the overwhelming public support for policies like background checks.


A Way Forward

Despite the challenges, there is growing momentum for change. Grassroots organizations, survivors of gun violence, and some lawmakers are advocating for comprehensive reforms. The Madison school shooting serves as a stark reminder of the urgency of these efforts. As the nation grapples with its gun violence epidemic, it must look to both its history and the experiences of other countries to find a path toward a safer future.


(The author is a resident of US. Views personal.)

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