The humility and the softness in her voice is what I first noticed when I called to chat with G.R.Radhika on a Saturday evening – who now has the rare honor of being the only Indian Woman Police Officer to scale Mt Kun in the Zanskar valley of the Himalayas. “There are no weekends for a police officer,” she states, quite naturally. We resumed our chat on Sunday evening, as she enjoyed the company of her two sons (who are 16 and 12) and a strong cup of filter coffee prepared by her mother. “It has to be filter coffee, not Bru,” she says with a smile. “I loved challenges since my childhood, specially those that were off limits to me on the grounds of being a girl. I once crossed a fierce river on foot, to reach a place of worship, a path that few or none chose. My family was very upset but realised that it was a natural trait in me to chose the path less travelled,” she recalls. She credits her parents, especially her mother (who worked as a lecturer) for all the freedom she received. “She treated me more than equal to my brother,” she says with pride.
She met her husband while studying and this young love broke barriers of caste. “He is my anchor and my greatest advocate. He is from Andhra and I am from Telangana. There are no political boundaries in love. His support was one of most important reasons behind my shift to the police force from teaching,” shares Radhika.
“I journeyed as a pilgrim but returned with a passion,” she shares about her journey to Mt.Kailash and Mansarovar by foot in 2012. She enrolled in a mountain-climbing course based on a friend’s suggestion and thus set in motion, a passion of a lifetime. Having completed her basic and advanced course, she climbed the Golep Kangri peak in 2013, which stood tall at around 5,900 meters. “I enjoyed every step of this climb and I wanted to challenge myself further. I scaled Mt Menthosa (6443meters) in Himachal Pradesh the following year, which also tested a lot of my technical skills,” she adds. Motivated by her own success and passion, she enrolled herself for the Mt.Kun Expedition.
I was keen to know how she balanced her demanding role as a police officer and an avid mountaineer with her family responsibilities. “My family is my greatest source of strength and encouragement. My boys understand the demands of my work and my passion. They are my greatest fans. They too, like me have compromised and sacrificed to enable me follow my dreams,” she says tenderly.
Mountaineering is a physically and mentally challenging pursuit. I asked her about how she prepared herself to scale Mt.Kun. “I am a runner. I run 5 kms everyday. I work a lot on my upper body in the gym. I used to walk on the treadmill for eight to 10 kms with a backpack that weighed 15 kgs especially for this expedition,” shares this proud vegetarian. “Along with a well-balanced diet, I meditated a lot as well. It was important to train my mind to be strong. It helped me focus and not lose sight of my goal. My fellow climbers mocked me in jest for being a vegetarian and sometimes I did question my own strength. Meditation helped me focus on the moral responsibility of who I represent, thus infusing positive energy in me”.
The expedition that started with seven climbers, more experienced than Radhika, concluded with only two reaching the summit. On being questioned if she ever felt like giving up, she shares, “Giving up was not a choice for me. My friends who found large crevasses in an aerial survey of the peak discouraged me from the climb. France and Germany who had set up base camps before us, took a longer route as they felt our route had more risks. I saw my team members quit at various points of the climb. These challenges only fuelled my desire to keep going,” she recalls.
What was it like on that final stretch to the summit and once she reached the peak? “Walking for over 13 hours had drained all my energy. We had endured a lot physically and mentally. I was in pain. I stopped at every other step to catch a breath. The water in my bottle was frozen. I ate powdered snow. I took a moment to reflect on the true importance of this journey. It was not merely about my passion. It was about the sacrifices my family makes for me. It was about the faith and support my department and state had vested in me. It was about making my country proud,” she says with nostalgia.
“If there is one regret, it is that I did not get a individual picture at the peak,” she adds in innocence. “I carry a small Silver Shivalingam with me at all times. When I reached the top, I took it out and offered a small prayer. The moment at the top did not last very long, for the walk down was equally hard. We had to rappel and jump over crevasses. There was no scope for mental or physical fatigue to set in yet.”
Radhika resides in Adilabad where she is the Additional Superintendent of Police. Being away from her family is hard but she ensures she makes the most of the time when with them. This quality time is what she cherishes the most outside her work. Reading and the Internet keep her engaged when she is not climbing.
She has extended her passion to her adopted village under the Grama Jyothi Scheme. Under this umbrella, she is working hard to ensure every home has access to sanitation. Her greatest success was the ban on sale of illegal arrack in the village. Her focus now is to clean the village canal, making it irrigation worthy.
Both her boys keep her young in her heart and spirit. “I love competing with them and do not lose easily. There is a huge playful and naughty side to me that only my family gets to witness,” she shares with a laugh.
As I prepare to wind up this warm and inspiring chat, Radhika shares with me a special message to all women. “Everyone has a potential to create history. Intrinsic motivation is very important. Train your mind to do the impossible and not believe it is impossible. When you see an opportunity, embrace it with all your fears. You will win over your fears too. Life is a gift. It has a purpose. Live it and achieve it.”
Will we see Radhika now conquer Mt Everest to which she states humbly, “I do not have enough resources to climb Mt Everest yet. I am grateful for all the support extended to me by the Police Department and Telangana Government. I want to scale Mt Everest as the first Indian Police Officer. The only defining word I want to hear is Indian.” Words of a true patriot and champion.
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